Tottenham number one Brad Friedel believes the club can secure a second top four finish this season now that Luka Modric has remained at the club.

The 25-year-old was subject to a summer-long transfer courting by rivals Chelsea, who saw three bids of £22m, £27m and £40m rejected for the diminutive playmaker.

With the saga ensuing right up until the deadline, reports suggest that the controversy surrounding the Croatian hindered his side’s start to the season, which began with back-to-back defeats by both Manchester sides.

However, Redknapp re-instilled Modric back to the starting XI for the 2-0 win over Wolves, and the Croatian was back to his best, pulling the strings from midfield.

40-year-old Friedel, who arrived on a free transfer from Aston Villa, now believes that with his team-mate back on the game, Spurs can mount a serious challenge for the top four once more.

“Can we qualify for the Champions League? Absolutely,” he said.

“The squad we have is exceptional. There was so much speculation in the transfer window that we needed to get that to one side and hopefully now we can just focus and win football matches.”