Hamburg won't rule out Rafael van der Vaart move

Hamburg have refused to rule out making a move for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart before the end of the transfer window.

Van der Vaart, who played for the German club between 2005 and 2008, started Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on the bench, fuelling speculation over his future at White Hart Lane.

Hamburg's director of sport Frank Arnesen admitted that a move isn't "realistic" at the moment, but refused to rule out a move after noting Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's reputation for late deals.

"In this world I am not ruling out anything, but at the moment it is not realistic," Arnesen told Kicker.

"I know Tottenham boss Daniel Levy loves to cash in high transfer fees in the final minutes of the transfer window."

Van der Vaart joined Spurs in 2010, making 77 appearances and scoring 28 goals for the club in that time.