West Brom have firmly rejected Tottenham’s latest offer to buy striker Saido Berahino.
After turning down an £18million bid West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace took the unusual step of issuing a strongly worded statement on the club’s website, warning Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that they have no interest in selling him.
The club value Berahino at £25m and Tottenham are expected to go back with a higher bid given Peace’s admission that every player has their price.
‘We have no interest in selling Saido which is what I have told Daniel Levy,’ Peace said. ‘I know we are living in an age where no club can say “never” about the possibility of selling a player.
‘However, the prospect of selling Saido is simply not on our agenda. We are going forward with Saido very much in our plans and still striving to add players to improve the balance of our squad.’
One of those targets is Tottenham centre half Federico Fazio, with a £5m deal seemingly in place, though that could be complicated by the deadlock over Berahino.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis admitted at the weekend that only a ‘special’ offer would prise Berahino away from the club.The 22-year-old has two years left on his current contract and is on £12,000 per week.
The club had opened talks over a bumper new deal which would have more than tripled his wages. Those talks were put on hold in February when Berahino said he wanted to ‘move on to bigger things’.
That infuriated West Brom officials, but he has since changed his attitude and they are now desperate to keep him.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has had Berahino watched extensively and is keen to add the striker to his options up front.
Harry Kane, a revelation last season with 32 goals in all competitions, is yet to score in the club’s opening two matches.
Pochettino fears that the 22-year-old will be fatigued this season after playing 53 matches for Spurs and England last season, then three more in the Czech Republic with England Under 21s for the European Championship in the summer break.
Pochettino has also sanctioned the sale of Roberto Soldado to Villarreal for £7m plus add-ons and Emmanuel Adebayor is understood to have no future in north London. – Daily Mail