Louis Saha joins Spurs as Steven Pienaar moves to Everton

By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer, BBC Sport




Saha played at White Hart Lane on 11 January as Spurs beat Everton 2-0

Louis Saha has joined Tottenham on a free transfer after ending his three-and-a-half-year spell at Everton.

Moving in the opposite direction is Steven Pienaar, who has rejoined Everton on loan from Spurs until the end of the season.

Pienaar only left Goodison Park a year ago but has struggled to cement a place in Harry Redknapp’s plans.

“I like Louis. He is bright, sharp, got good movement and I think he’ll do well for us,” said Redknapp about Saha.

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and his Spurs counterpart Daniel Levy worked right up until the transfer deadline to conclude the Pienaar deal.

It completed a hectic day of comings and goings at Everton, with Spurs boss Redknapp taking a gamble on Saha by offering an 18-month deal.

Redknapp has been seeking to strengthen his attacking options – but going for 33-year-old French striker Saha is still a major surprise, even though no fee is involved.

Everton boss David Moyes released Saha and completed the £5.5m signing of Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic.

Saha, who scored 64 goals in three and a half seasons during an earlier spell at Fulham, has struggled for form at Everton this term and his spell at Goodison Park has been dogged by injuries since his arrival on a free transfer from Manchester United in August 2008.

He will provide experienced back-up to Spurs strike pair Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe, with Roman Pavlyuchenko increasingly marginalised.

Saha, who had six months remaining at Everton, scored eight goals in his first season at Goodison in 2008-09, including the fastest in an FA Cup final when he found the net after just 25 seconds against Chelsea at Wembley.