Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has revealed that Aston Villa are in front of Pompey and Sunderland for French defender Younes Kaboul at Tottenham Hotspur.

Redknapp has been linked with a move for 22-year-old Kaboul all summer, but has been unable to meet Spurs’ price for the former Auxerre player, who he tried to sign before he went to White Hart Lane.

Kaboul cost Spurs a reported £7million (€8.85m) last summer, with it reported that while he is surplus to requirements at Tottenham, Spurs boss Juande Ramos still values the player at £7.5million (€9.5m).

This leaves Villa and Sunderland, who Kaboul has already agreed personal terms with left in the race for the Frenchman. With Redknapp conceding that he think Kaboul will go to Villa Park and not the Stadium of Light.

“Villa are still in front for Kaboul,” Redknapp said.

“We are going to have to sell one or two to do something. It's not a bottomless pit after all.

“You need to sell, really, to bring someone in. That is how it is and how it should be, it's not a problem.”