Redknapp keen to add quality

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has warned his squad needs significant strengthening if they are going to push the Barclays Premier League’s leading sides.

Spurs held their AGM yesterday where images were released of the club’s proposed new stadium.

But the meeting also served as an opportunity for manager Redknapp, who took over from Juande Ramos earlier this season, to urge the White Hart Lane board to provide him with money to spend.

“It depends where you want to finish. If you are talking about getting into the top five or the top four, the squad is well, well short of that,” he said in the London Evening Standard.

“There is a lot of work to be done to become a top team. I cannot tell lies. The squad is still well short of challenging for a place in the top four.

“We are not as good as Aston Villa or one or two other teams, so there is a lot of work to be done to get where we should be.”

Chairman Daniel Levy suggested rebuilding will be done next summer, saying: “We do not envisage any major transactions in the January transfer window.

“Our challenge is to realise the full potential of our current squad and that’s something Harry and his current squad have already started to deliver.”

Levy also took the opportunity to unveil images of the club’s planned 60,000-capacity arena which has been designed by leading firm KSS.

He said: “The brief I gave the architects was to design an iconic stadium that would be one of the best in Europe.

“My over-riding priority is to re-create the terrific atmosphere we have at the current stadium, within a world-class stadium that offers state-of-the-art facilities.”

On the pitch, meanwhile, youngster Dean Parrett looks set for his senior debut this week in the UEFA Cup following the injury crisis which has hit the squad.

Redknapp has a host of injury concerns ahead of the clash against Spartak Moscow on Thursday at White Hart Lane, with Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko also ineligible.

Adel Taarabt, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Hossam Ghaly, Paul Stalteri and Ricardo Rocha would have been in contention but they were out of favour under former manager Juande Ramos and not registered for the competition.

It brings John Bostock, 16, and 17-year-old Parrett into Redknapp’s selection plans.

“Thursday is a big headache for us,” Redknapp said.

“I’ve got some kids out of the youth team because you have to have so many homegrown players in the squad, so it will give me a chance to see one or two of them play.

“We’ve got John Bostock and Dean Parrett, I’ll throw them in and let’s see what they can do.”