• Spurs manager rebuts allegations of unsettling midfielder
• Redknapp no closer to resolution in bid for Bellamy

Harry Redknapp has hit back in the row over the future of West Ham’s Scott Parker. Redknapp and Spurs were this week accused of unsettling the player with their £7m bid, the Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan saying he was “very angry with Harry, Daniel [Levy, the Tottenham chairman] and Spurs”.

But Redknapp argued that any damage to the players’ peace of mind was the fault of West Ham. “Who made it public that we made an offer?” he said last night following Spurs’ 4-1 friendly defeat against Villarreal.

“You can make an offer for a player if you want to. You can make an offer for anybody. I’m sure the chairman must have got some encouragement or he wouldn’t have made an offer. So I’m not sure the full story has been told about that one. The chairman wouldn’t have made an offer unless he thought there was a chance that they wanted to do something.”

A deal for another target, Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy, also seems no closer to a resolution. “I like Craig Bellamy but I don’t know if they would sell him,” said Redknapp. “The chairman deals with all the transfers. He asks me what I want and I tell him. I don’t know where he’s at with Bellamy, if anywhere.”

Redknapp also revealed the motivation behind his attempts to sign two players with a combined age of 60, with the reigning European champions proving the inspiration. “If you’re going to be really successful you need a few men in your team, not lads that are learning,” he said.

“We’ve got a good group of players but two or three players with experience would make a massive difference to the team. You look at Inter Milan – they won the Champions League with a team of men, they were all experienced players. You need players with experience.”

Harry RedknappTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedTransfer windowJohn Ashdownguardian.co.uk

• Spurs reward Harry Redknapp for Champions League place
• Premier League manager of the season took club to fourth

Harry Redknapp has signed a contract extension with Tottenham Hotspur that ties him to the Premier League club until 2013.

The Spurs manager’s current deal was due to expire next year but included an option for a further two years which the club have now exercised.

“The club is delighted to announce that we have extended the contract of manager Harry Redknapp until 2013,” read a statement on the club website.

“Harry guided the side to fourth place in his first full season with the club, our highest league finish since the Premier League’s inception, with the prospect of competing in the Champions League for the first time this coming campaign.

“The achievement earned him the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Season award.”

Redknapp took over at Spurs in October 2008 with the team bottom of the table, having picked up only two points from their opening eight games.

The turnaround under his guidance was capped when Redknapp led the club into the Champions League for the first time in May, their place among Europe’s elite secured with a dramatic win over Manchester City in their penultimate game of the season.

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• Redknapp hopeful Tottenham chairman can clinch deal
• ‘City can easily win the league, Everton will be stronger’

Harry Redknapp has said that he has not given up on signing Joe Cole for the new season. The Tottenham Hotspur manager has been linked with the a move for the England player for some time and said today that his chairman, Daniel Levy, is talking to Cole’s representatives.

“We’re interested in Joe [Cole],” Redknapp told Talksport. “I know Daniel [Levy, Spurs chairman] was talking to his people and we’re interested. If the chairman can pull a deal off I’d love to have him at Tottenham. But it all comes down to if we can do a deal. I don’t get involved in the financial side; the chairman can do that with Joe’s people. Hopefully there is a deal that can be done because we would love him at White Hart Lane.”

The 63-year-old, who was working as a pundit for the BBC during the World Cup, added that the chances of signing Steven Pienaar are slim. “I like Pienaar, don’t get me wrong. But there is nothing there. I wouldn’t see that as being a real goer.”

Talking about the new season, Redknapp said: “It’s going to be even harder to make the top four, that’s for definite. Manchester City could quite easily win the Premier League. If they get the players in now, they’ve already got the nucleus of a good team. They’re in for [Liverpool striker, Fernando] Torres, if they end up getting him and one or two others then they can do anything. It’s going to make it more difficult.

“I think Everton will be stronger next year. They had a lot of injures this year. They are a well organised, difficult team to play against. They’ll be very close again to that top four. It’s going to be even harder next year, but we’re looking forward to the qualifiers for the Champions League and hopefully we can get through that first game and into the group stages and I think we can make a fair impact.”

Tottenham HotspurHarry RedknappMarcus Christensonguardian.co.uk