Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed that Robbie Keane can leave the club in January. The news is hardly surprising given Keane’s lack of game time and his departure on loan to Celtic last January, but a public announcement at the start of December suggests that Spurs won’t be holding out for a significant transfer fee.
Keane has started only two club games this season and has fallen behind Crouch, Defoe and Pavyluchenko in the pecking order at White Hart Lane. The catalyst for the final decision may have been last week’s game against Keane’s former club Liverpool when the Irish captain could not even manage a place on the bench. “The hardest decision I had to make was last week” explained Redknapp. “I couldn’t get him on the bench. It wasn’t easy when you respect somebody and what a good player he is or has been. It was hard because he’s still a good player.”
Spurs also appeared to rule out a loan move for the striker, with Redknapp claiming he will move to “whoever offers the biggest fee.” That would suggest a return to Celtic is unlikely as they would not be able to compete with the likes of Aston Villa in the transfer market for a player who has turned 30. A stranger, but potential, destination for Keane might be the MLS with the Vancouver Whitecaps expressing interest in signing him. However Keane has been looking at property in Ireland recently so probably won’t wish to stray too far from these shores.