Tottenham on verge of signing Brad Friedel after goalkeeper turns down Aston Villa, Liverpool & West Brom

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1 May 2011 Luanda — Sagrada Esperança beat on Saturday Académica do Soyo by 2-0 in Dundo district in the eastern Lunda Norte province, in the seventh round of the national first division football championship (Girabola2011). The goals were scored by at 42 ande 47 minutes. With this result, Sagrada Esperança da Lunda Norte rose the fourth position with 11 points, while Académica do Soyo are at the 11th place with six points

3 Jun 2011 08:18:00

Brad Friedel, Aston Villa, EPL (Getty)

Brad Friedel, Aston Villa, EPL (Getty)

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By Greg Stobart

Tottenham are on the verge of signing goalkeeper Brad Friedel on a free transfer, Goal.com  understands.

The 40-year-old has agreed a two-year contract at White Hart Lane and will be made the club’s first signing of the summer with an official announcement due as early as Friday.

The American’s contract with Aston Villa expired at the end of the season and he held talks with a number of interested clubs after rejecting the offer of a heavily incentivised one-year extension to stay at Villa Park.

Friedel was offered two-year contracts by West Brom and former club Liverpool – where he would also have taken on a coaching role – but he decided against a return to Anfield as he would have been back-up to Pepe Reina.

He is believed to have chosen Spurs because he is likely to arrive as manager Harry Redknapp’s new first-choice goalkeeper to replace the gaffe-prone Heurelho Gomes. The Brazilian is available for transfer after high profile errors last season and Spurs are continuing to look at younger options as well.

Redknapp feels Friedel’s considerable experience will stabilise his shaky Tottenham defence, which looked far more comfortable in the final stages of last season after Gomes was dropped in favour of Carlo Cudicini.

Spurs are convinced that, despite his age, Friedel still has plenty to offer in the next two years after 428 Premier League appearances over the last 14 years at Liverpool, Blackburn and Aston Villa.

Friedel’s arrival will hasten the departure of Gomes, but Spurs want at least £5 million for the Brazilian.

Goal.com understands that the club will re-assess their longer-term options once Gomes, 30, leaves White Hart Lane. Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg remains an option while the club are looking at potential stars of the future including 19-year-old Belgian Thibaut Courtois, who plays for Genk.

Cudicini, 37, signed a one-year contract extension at the end of the season after impressing in the final three games of the campaign.

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Tottenham on verge of signing Brad Friedel after goalkeeper turns down Aston Villa, Liverpool & West Brom