Tottenham continue to chase Hazard

Chairman Daniel Levy is pressing ahead with summer transfer deals - as well as sounding out potential new managers - as the Londoners refuse to be destabilised by speculation.Tottenham have had so many false dawns over the last 20 years that supporters almost expect next season to be one of transition, even if they qualify for the Champions League with a top-four finish.Natural pessimism in N17 dictates that Harry Redknapp will leave the club for the England job in the summer and could be followed out of the door by at least one of their two prized assets, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.But with Spurs increasingly resigned to losing Redknapp, they are making contingency plans to ensure the 65-year-old’s anticipated departure does not throw the club into turmoil and back to mid-table finishes.Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, is a hard worker.He is working hard, although probably in vain, on convincing Redknapp to stay by offering him a new four-year contract worth £16 million.He is working hard on delivering a new 56,000-seater stadium to bring in the revenues that will establish Spurs as regulars in the Champions League.And he is working hard on planning for next season, with or without Redknapp.That means sounding out potential managerial candidates and taking advice from some of the most respected figures in the game as he looks for someone with the long-term vision to establish Tottenham as one of Europe’s elite clubs.Jose Mourinho would be the obvious first-choice should he leave Real Madrid but David Moyes and Brendan Rodgers are the two other names most mentioned for a job that looks an attractive proposition for any manager.With a star-studded squad fighting Arsenal for third place and a £45m new training centre set to open this summer, Tottenham genuinely feel they are on the cusp of something special despite the restrictions of their strict wage structure.To that end, Spurs are continuing to press ahead with their pursuit of summer transfer targets that could see them mount a challenge for the Premier League title next season. Strangely, rarely have the club had such a clear transfer strategy at this stage in the year.Levy is prepared to spend £50-70m on new signings ahead of next season and is continuing to make progress on long-term targets that have been identified by the player recruitment team at White Hart Lane.With up to seven clubs likely to be challenging for four Champions League spots next season, Spurs feel they cannot let the uncertainty over Redknapp’s future damage the considerable progress they have made since he took charge in October 2008.Eden Hazard, the Lille winger, is a leading target and Spurs remain favourites to sign the Belgian despite rival interest from all of the top six clubs, especially Manchester City and Manchester United.The 21-year-old, one of the hottest prospects in Europe and already rated at £30m, has said he will play in the Premier League next season and is believed to favour a move to Tottenham as he wants regular first-team football.Spurs felt they were close to signing Hazard in January and are in regular contact with both Lille and the player’s agent, hoping to clinch a deal shortly after the end of the season.Likewise, Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen was identified as a potential January purchase before it became clear that he would not be available until the summer.The defender, who told Goal.com in February he considers Tottenham \"an amazing club\", is available for a cut-price £10m as he has only a year left on his contract, although Spurs face stiff competition from Arsenal, their north London rivals.Levy is also refusing to give up on his attempts to sign Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao from Internacional. Spurs tried to sign the 22-year-old throughout last summer and believe he has the potential to be a leading goalscorer in the Premier League.Despite competition for his signature, particularly from Italy, Tottenham are hopeful of eventually agreeing a deal for the Brazil international in the summer. Spurs have a good relationship with Internacional due to the clubs’ strategic partnership and their signing of Sandro in 2010 - but they have so far struggled to agree a fee for the £20m-rated man.In addition to Damiao, Tottenham admire Marseille striker Loic Remy, for whom they made an £18m bid in January which was described as \"enormous\" by the French club’s president.Emmanuel Adebayor, currently on loan from Manchester City, remains an obvious target having scored 14 goals this season as Spurs’ main striker but he is so far refusing to take a significant cut on his £170,000-a-week wages.Tottenham’s ambitious transfer plans are dependent on the £40m revenue that would bolster the coffers from securing Champions League football for next season.But there is no sense that Spurs will put anything \'on hold\' while they wait to see if Redknapp takes the England job, letting an approach from the FA torpedo their carefully laid plans. They have had enough false dawns.