Source: Daily Telegraph

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy sought reassurances from Harry Redknapp over his involvement in a City of London Police investigation into football corruption before appointing him as manager, Telegraph Sport has learned.

Redknapp was arrested in November 2007 on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting as part of a wide-ranging inquiry that centres on the football agent and race-horse owner Willy McKay, a long-term associate of the new Tottenham manager.

Redknapp has repeatedly protested his innocence, a position he reiterated to Levy and other club representatives during negotiations at the weekend.

City of London Police passed their file to the Crown Prosecution Service in July, and sources with knowledge of the investigation have indicated that the CPS will make a decision over whether to level charges or extend bail conditions against Redknapp and seven others within a month. Also arrested and questioned as part of the investigation were Birmingham City chief executive Karren Brady, club co-owner David Sullivan, Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie, Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric and Stoke City midfielder Amdy Faye.

Last May Redknapp won a judicial review against the police arguing successfully that the search warrant granted against his home at Sandbanks, Bournemouth, was unlawful, and he is considering legal action against the force.

Redknapp oversaw training with the Spurs squad for the first time on Monday with Kevin Bond, his new assistant manager, and signalled that Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe, who left Tottenham last January, could be a target when the transfer window opens. "If he [Defoe] ever came up for sale again I'm sure we'd be interested," Redknapp said.

He is also considering an approach to Tim Sherwood, the former Spurs midfielder now employed as a pundit by Setanta.

Bond is no stranger to controversy after BBC Panorama alleged in September 2006 that he was prepared to take money from an agent to help set up transfer deals. He denied the allegation and launched a libel action against the BBC and a wrongful dismissal suit against Newcastle after he was sacked as an assistant to Glenn Roeder following the programme.

Redknapp will return to Portsmouth on Tuesday to receive the freedom of the city, an honour bestowed on him after he guided the club to the FA Cup last season.


I make no comment (on the grounds I might get sued)