Looks like the reports from Bild have some substance after all. Rafael van der Vaart's agent has confirmed that the enigmatic Dutch midfielder is indeed heading to HSV:

Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart's agent confirms the player is on his way to Hamburg for a medical …

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) August 31, 2012

The earlier rumour was that Hamburg and Tottenham Hotspur had agreed a €13 million deal for the 29-year-old, who played at the Imtech Arena between 2005 and 2008 before heading to Real Madrid on a big money deal that never quite worked out. If he passes the medical, there's still the matter of agreeing a contract, but with Spurs' wage structure being fairly reasonable as Premier League sides go, there shouldn't be that much of a problem in getting van der Vaart signed to a new deal.

It's a good bit of business for Tottenham, too -- they'll have earned £40 million between van der Vaart's departure and the sale of Luka Modric to Madrid.