Harry Redknapp: It's going to be so hard for us to finish fourth

11 April 2012

Harry Redknapp believes finishing in the top four of the Premier League this season will be harder than ever for Tottenham because of their struggle to match the wage demands of the world's best players.

Spurs qualified for the Champions League last season by ending the campaign in fourth and they have prospered in Europe's premier club competition, where they face a two-legged tie against AC Milan to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Manchester City's wealth has added a new dimension to the Premier League title race and Redknapp believes their progress this season has made his own club's task more difficult.

Redknapp has been keen to sign a forward during the transfer window but has had to contend with the high salaries of players like Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan.

The club are also thought to have pondered a move for Inter frontman Samuel Eto'o but he is believed to earn about 10million (£8.6m) per year.

"Trying to get Champions League football again is going to be hard," said the Spurs boss. "You've got Man City who just keep buying fantastic players. You're not going to finish above Man United, with the way they're going, so it's going to be very tough.

"It's very difficult to finish in the top four. You're dealing with clubs who pay unbelievable wages.

"Every player we've spoken to recently is on £130,000-140,000 a week. We can't get anywhere near that and we're not going to while we've got a stadium that holds about 36,000. It's impossible."

Spurs are fifth in the Premier League, three points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea. Their minds turn this weekend to the FA Cup, where they take on Fulham on Sunday.

Redknapp is determined to make a proper attempt to win the competition and also believes that even if Spurs were to finish fifth in the League, it would represent a fine season for a club that were in danger of relegation when he took charge in October 2008.

He added: "People forget where Spurs were two years ago. We're involved in three competitions and we want to give it our best shot to go as well as we can in all of them."

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