• Spurs manager had bonus in contract
• Joe Cole and Craig Bellamy among targets

Harry Redknapp is due to receive a seven-figure bonus and an improved contract at Tottenham Hotspur after steering the club into the top four of the Premier League and therefore to a place in at least the Champions League play-offs.

When Redknapp negotiated his move from Portsmouth in October 2008, when Tottenham were bottom of the Premier League, the focus of the club’s chairman, Daniel Levy, and everyone at White Hart Lane was on avoiding relegation to the Championship. The manager was promised a £1m bonus if he kept the team up, which he did. But he also pushed for the inclusion of a clause to reward him handsomely in the event of his leading Tottenham to fourth place and the chance of entering Europe’s elite competition. Levy agreed, perhaps reasoning that he would never have to pay it. No man in his position ever has.

Levy may have smiled wryly on Wednesday night, as Redknapp’s team recorded a famous 1-0 win at Manchester City to secure at least fourth place. Hardly any of the Tottenham players have similar clauses in their contracts, relating either to their league position or Champions League qualification.

Redknapp, with whom talks are now planned on an extension to his existing deal, which has a little over 12 months to run, had his squad in for training at 10.30am yesterday. He is keen to finish the season with a victory at Burnley on Sunday – Spurs could finish third if Arsenal lose at home to Fulham.

Thoughts, inevitably, have begun to drift towards summer transfer targets, and Redknapp will benefit from the pull

The pod squad is suited and booted for your brand new Football Weekly.

We start with the FA Cup, where Harry Redknapp could be set for another encounter with Portsmouth, and Aston Villa came from behind against Reading to set up a semi-final with Chelsea – for whom John Terry was the perfect gentleman in his victory celebration and post-match interview. Barry Glendenning gives his thoughts.

James Richardson looks ahead to Milan’s trip to Manchester United in the Champions League, and Sean Ingle remembers that Liverpool are still involved in Europe (and Fulham and Juventus too, for that matter).

Sid Lowe tells us about a dramatic weekend in Spain, where Real Madrid went ahead of Barcelona in La Liga for the first time in three months.

Finally, John Ashdown regales us with tales from the Championship, where it is Newcastle United’s title to lose. That said, stranger things have happened, especially to the Magpies. Good job they’ve got Spiderman playing on the wing.

Have a listen and post your feedback below. We’re also on iTunes, Facebook and Twitter, and if you enjoy this type of thing, get your daily dose of fooball with our tea-time email, The Fiver.

James RichardsonBen GreenSid LoweJohn AshdownBarry GlendenningSean Ingle