Defender deal collapses in bizarre circumstances

With Steven Caulker having left Spurs for newly promoted Cardiff City, there is an obvious need for reinforcements in the centre of defence, particularly while injury concerns remain over Younes Kaboul. In the middle of the week, it had seemed likely that Romanian international Vlad Chiriches would be joining up with the Tottenham squad but the press today are producing conflicting stories over the future of the Steaua Bucharest defender.

In some quarters, the player’s agent Ioan Becali is quoted as saying,

“Roma have not raised their offer of £5.7m. Tottenham, however, are now up to £7m and have taken the player. “It is at 99 per cent certain – it only lacks the signature of the boy, who will arrive soon.”

However, in a bizarre twist, several of the major websites such as Sky and ESPN are claiming that Steaua’s owner Gigi Becali, who is currently in prison after abuse of his country’s land exchange system, made use of his solitary phone call to deny the deal.

“Who are Tottenham?! Do not do any transfer, my name is Gigi Becali! I’m not a slave to anybody! We have an important game in the Champions League, why can’t they wait?” Becali said.

The owner went on to state that the player would not be available until the winter but Spurs, with only three senior centre halves, don’t have that long to wait.