Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp admits he came close to beating Chelsea for Eden Hazard.

Hazard joined the Blues three years ago in a £32million switch from French outfit Lille.

"Joe Cole was on loan there [in 2012] from Liverpool during that season and he told me he was the best player he had ever played with," Redknapp wrote in the London Evening Standard.

"Me and Ian Broomfield, my chief scout, spent most of an afternoon with Hazard and his agent in a very nice hotel trying to convince the boy to come.

"He was keen to move to London and Tottenham was a good fit for him but once you get that far, you then rely on other people to finish it off. In this case, it didn't happen. Money was probably the issue."