Hoddle disappointed over Petit

TOTTENHAM boss Glenn Hoddle has admitted he is disappointed to have missed out on Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit.

With Claudio Ranieri strengthening his midfield department with the signings of Joe Cole, Juan Sebastian Veron, Damien Duff and Geremi over the summer, it appeared the Frenchman would be the sacrificial lamb to make way for the new wave of superstars at Stamford Bridge.

As revealed first by planetfootball.com last month, Hoddle was hoping to land the 32-year-old to bolster his options in the middle of the park after focusing his efforts on his forward line for most of the summer.

Spurs boss Hoddle is a long time fan of the ex-Barcelona star but Stamford Bridge counterpart Claudio Ranieri has told the former World Cup winner that he wants him to stay in West London, as he is short of defensive midfield options among his star-studded attack.

Hoddle admitted losing out on Petit is a blow: "It's a pity but the plan doesn't seem to be going anywhere at the moment."

Hoddle also denied offering goalkeeper Neil Sullivan as part exchange for Petit, amidst rumours that the North London outfit are set for a £3 million swoop for Leeds shot stopper Paul Robinson.