Tottenham failed by minutes to sign Porto star Joao Moutinho, it has been revealed.
The Telegraph says Porto had accepted Spurs' bid after it was raised to their 30 million (£24 million) asking price. But with Porto having paid Sporting Lisbon 11 million (£9 million) for Moutinho, his former club was due 25 per cent of the profit (£3.8 million) while an investor was also due 15 per cent of the overall fee (£3.6 million).
However, the deal could not be completed by the deadline of 1am Saturday. Spurs were granted an extra hour beyond the midnight cut-off on the final day of the transfer window because they had submitted a so-called 'deal sheet' to the Premier League by 9pm.