Source: Daily_Mail
Niko Kranjcar completes £2m Spurs switch but Bentley's City deal collapses
Harry Redknapp has expressed his delight after the Tottenham boss clinched a deal for Portsmouth's Niko Kranjcar.
In what could prove to be the bargain signing of the summer transfer window Redknapp has spent just £2million on the creative Croatia midfield player.
But Kranjcar's signing was the only bright spot on a frustrating transfer deadline day at White Hart Lane, as Spurs missed out on Martin Petrov and David James.
Redknapp believed misfit midfielder David Bentley was poised for a loan move to Manchester City, with Bulgaria winger Petrov moving in the opposite direction.
But Spurs chairman Daniel Levy vetoed the move just three hours before the window was due to close, insisting that any deal for the former Blackburn midfielder had to be permanent.
Portsmouth also rejected a swap deal for England goalkeeper James involving Spurs' reserve stopper Carlo Cudicini, despite the Pompey player being eager to quit Fratton Park.
Kranjcar completed his cut-price move after he passed a medical on Tuesday morning.
Spurs desperately needed a left-sided midfielder after star playmaker Luka Modric suffered a fractured leg in the win over Birmingham City on Saturday.
He has been ruled out for at least six weeks and Modric's Croatia team-mate Kranjcar fits the bill as a ready-made replacement.
The move is something of a coup as the 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal in the past.
The switch also sees Redknapp reunited with the player, as he was in charge at Fratton Park when Pompey signed the midfielder for £3.5million in 2006.
The Spurs boss said said: 'I'm really delighted. I signed Niko from Portsmouth. He's a fantastic player.'
