Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has launched a warning to any prospective suitors that Gareth Bale and Luka Modric will be at White Hart Lane next season.

Wales international Bale has been in the headlines once again, with reports linking the winger with a £40m switch to Manchester City.

Despite City boss Roberto Mancini failing to deny interest in the 22-year-old, Redknapp has insisted that Bale and Modric will not be sold in the summer.

"Once you start selling your best players you're finished," said Redknapp. "I don't know why Tottenham should be seen as a club that will sell its best players. We are not looking to sell our best players. We are looking to build a team here, not dismantle.

"The chairman made a stance with Modric last year - the stance was that we are looking to build, to add to the group we've got and improve for next year, not to go backwards.

"If we go backwards, we're going nowhere basically are we? We will slump back into mid-table mediocrity and we don't want that."

Spurs midfielder Modric has been widely tipped to move to North West outfit Manchester United at the end of the season.