Tottenham Hotspur forward Rafael van der Vaart is thought to be considering a move to the United Arab Emirates after a potential switch to Schalke fell through.

Schalke chairman Clemens Tonnies claimed on Wednesday that any deal for the 28-year-old was off because the two parties were "miles apart".

However, the Dutchman could now swap White Hart Lane for the Middle East where his £70,000-per-week wages could be met, according to the Daily Mail.

Van der Vaart joined Spurs from Real Madrid in summer 2010 for around £8m.