Spurs confirmed Defoe, who only left the club last January, will be paraded in front of fans at White Hart Lane before Tuesday evening's Carling Cup semi-final first-leg clash with Championship side Burnley.

A fee has been agreed on what is thought to be a five-year contract and the 26-year-old Defoe only needs to clear a medical to clinch the deal.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie had been in talks over the weekend to negotiate a transfer fee in the region of 15 million pounds (S$32.4 million).

'Personal terms have been agreed and the striker will undergo a medical,' a statement from Spurs said.

Tottenham boss Redknapp bought Defoe for Pompey in the 2008 January window and his return had been suggested since the change of manager at White Hart Lane two months ago.

He went on a run of eight goals in his first seven games for Portsmouth and has added nine goals this season so far.

'I wouldn't have sold him if I was manager at Portsmouth and Tottenham came back in,' Redknapp admitted. 'I'd be keeping him.' Redknapp has prioritised a striker and a left-sided midfielder in the current transfer window, with Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing also subject of a bid from Spurs.

Ghana international midfielder Stephen Appiah is on trial at White Hart Lane this week and could sign until the end of the season.

Defoe controversially signed pro with West Ham aged 16 after coming through Charlton's youth system. A Premier League tribunal forced the Hammers to pay Charlton 1.4 million pounds (1.7 million euros) compensation.

The striker promptly scored on his first-team debut in a League Cup win over Walsall.

The goals continued to flow during a loan spell with Bournemouth which brought 18 goals in 29 league games - including a club record ten consecutive league outings stretch before returning to Upton Park for his Premiership league debut.

In May 2003 he handed in a transfer request the day after a draw at Birmingham saw the Hammers relegated but started the following season with a goal in a win at Preston.

Three red cards followed, however, before he finally left for Spurs in February 2004 with Bobby Zamora moving to West Ham in part exchange.

Five days later Defoe netted on his Spurs debut - against Portsmouth.

Two months later came his England debut against Sweden in a friendly and then his competitive bow the following September against Austria.

But he missed the cut for the 2006 World Cup squad and then could not prevent elimination in the November 2007 3-2 defeat to Croatia at Wembley which saw England miss out on Euro 2008.

Two months later, in January 2008, he moved to Portsmouth for a reported 7.5million pounds but was cup-tied for Pompey's FA Cup final victory over Cardiff.

With Redknapp leaving for White Hart Lane speculation mounted that Defoe would follow him. -- AFP