Harry Redknapp has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur came close to signing Santi Cazorla two years before he joined North London rivals Arsenal.

The Spain midfielder moved to the Emirates Stadium from Malaga in 2012 for a fee of £15m, having spent a year with them after signing from Villarreal.

However, Redknapp has said that Spurs were looking to sign the 30-year-old when he was in charge at White Hart Lane.

"Santi Cazorla was very nearly a Tottenham player well before he joined Arsenal in 2012. He was fantastic against us for Villarreal in a pre-season friendly in July 2010. I went up to Everton to watch him play again a week later and then we spoke to Villarreal," Redknapp told the London Evening Standard.

"Santi wanted to come. He was happy to join Spurs but there was a breakdown in talks over the fee.

The deal was almost done but it got lost somewhere in the negotiations between Tottenham and Villarreal. It was a transfer that could and should have been done. He ended up being another one who got away."

Cazorla has scored 27 goals in 156 games for Arsenal in all competitions.