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Tottenham almost had their own Sol Campbell moment by signing iconic Arsenal captain

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Harry Redknapp revealed on The Overlap Daily that he was close to signing Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira during his managerial stint at Tottenham from 2008 to 2012. Vieira had left Arsenal and played for Juventus and Inter Milan before being open to a Tottenham move at 33.

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Tottenham almost had their own Sol Campbell moment by signing iconic Arsenal captain
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Kickjolly · AI-written · automatically reviewed · Spurs Web ↗

Harry Redknapp revealed on The Overlap Daily that he was close to signing Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira during his managerial stint at Tottenham from 2008 to 2012. Vieira had left Arsenal and played for Juventus and Inter Milan before being open to a Tottenham move at 33. Redknapp met Vieira at his house, where Vieira expressed his keenness to join Tottenham. The deal fell through when Vieira received a better offer.

Vieira's potential transfer would have been significant as he was an Arsenal legend, having captained the Invincibles and won multiple titles including three league titles and four FA Cups. Signing him would have given Tottenham fans bragging rights over Arsenal, especially after Sol Campbell's infamous move from Tottenham to Arsenal in 2001. Vieira eventually joined Manchester City instead.

Redknapp also attempted to sign Chelsea icon Eden Hazard while he was at Lille, after being recommended by Joe Cole. Redknapp watched Hazard play twice and met with him and his agent, with Hazard expressing interest in joining Tottenham. However, the transfer fell through due to chairman Daniel Levy's reluctance to pay the £18 million demanded by Lille.

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Spurs Web ↗
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Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham

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Harry Redknapp reveals how close he came to signing an Arsenal icon and a Chelsea legend during his managerial stint at Tottenham. Sol Campbell’s transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal in the summer of 2001 stands as one of the most infamous crossings of the north London divide. The centre-back gave fans the impression that he was going to stay at the club as his deal ran down, before signing for Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal on a free. That act of betrayal has still not been forgotten by many Tottenham fans, who made their feelings clear throughout the rest of his playing career, with taunts of “Judas” ringing around White Hart Lane whenever Campbell returned following his move.

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