KEANE HANDS IN TRANSFER REQUEST - REPORTS
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Tottenham have been plunged into disarray after Robbie Keane reportedly handed in a transfer request after learning of Liverpool's interest in him.
Keane's reputed desire to leave White Hart Lane this summer is a nightmare scenario for Juande Ramos, who is now in jeopardy of losing three of the four strikers at the club on his arrival. Jermain Defoe departed for Portsmouth in January, the want-away Dimitar Berbatov is expected to join either Barcelona or Manchester United, so Keane's exit could leave just Darren Bent as the only recognised striker at the club.
The Daily Mail reports that Keane handed in a transfer request three days after Liverpool lodged a player-plus-cash offer in a meeting with Spurs officials on Monday afternoon. Liverpool are described as Keane's 'boyhood idols', while 'Anfield manager Rafa Benitez sees Keane as the ideal strike partner for Euro 2008 match-winner Fernando Torres and is prepared to part with Peter Crouch and around £5million to make it happen.
'As with his pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry, though, Benitez is going to have to dig deeper after Tottenham rejected his initial offer and placed a £20m valuation on Keane.'
In a further twist, the Mail claims that Ramos is 'exploring ways of offloading Bent' - with Sunderland said to be interested. However, those plans will surely have to be put on hold as Spurs attempt to keep Keane.
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I hope this doesn't go through. He's a good player and he's finally settled down at a club which looks like it's going places (although that's said every summer RE: Spurs...) and to risk that to (probably) go sit on the Liverpool bench would be a bad decision.
Spurs' might start next season with none of the strikers they started the last with despite them scoring so much! (Defoe's gone, Ramos wants rid of Bent, Berbs is still courting interest from CL clubs and now Keane...)