Spurs scupper Adebayor West Ham move over Levy 'grudge'

West Ham United fans can be forgiven for being a bit bleary-eyed this morning after being advised by co-owner David Gold "not to go to bed" as the 11pm transfer deadline loomed. Those Hammers fans, excited at the idea their club was on the brink of bagging a big name at the 11th hour, were ultimately left disappointed – not to mention dog-tired – as the club failed to pull off a coup.

It's thought that Emmanuel Adebayor was the player Gold had in his sights, but according to the Daily Telegraph the deal for Tottenham forward fell through because of "Daniel Levy's grudge" against West Ham.

The paper claims that the Spurs' chairman was willing "to subsidise part of Adebayor's £100,000-a-week wages for any club but West Ham", so the former Arsenal striker will see out the season at Tottenham despite offers from QPR and Palace. Adebayor turned down those approaches in favour of West Ham but the Togo international clearly hadn't been aware of Levy's alleged loathing of the east London side.

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According to the Telegraph the 30-year-old Adebayor is "frustrated that he was ultimately not given the choice to pick his club" despite indications from Spurs that he would be allowed to leave the Lane in the transfer window.

The collapse of the deal left David Gold looking a little foolish, and he took to twitter two hours after his initial tweet to issue an apology to all West Ham fans burning the midnight oil. "Sorry for keeping you up late but at the last moment the main deal collapsed and the rest folded like a pack of cards," was his message. He subsequently thanked fellow co-owner David Sullivan and Hammers manager Sam Allardyce for their efforts, and pinned the blame on the club's failure to sign new players on "people out their [sic] that you just can't do business with".

Daniel Levy will no doubt be delighted that David Gold was left with egg on his face because the two men have been enemies since 2011. That was the year West Ham were awarded residency of the Olympic Stadium, and though the Hammers don't move into their new Stratford home until 2016 it's a venue that Levy at one time coveted. But Spurs lost out in the bidding war, and Gold was anything but gracious in his moment of victory, taunting Tottenham by declaring it was "a great day for honesty", and adding: "It's going to be a fantastic day, when Spurs come to play us at the Olympic Stadium. I hope Daniel Levy brings the champagne!"

Perhaps Levy will, or perhaps he's now drunk it after taking his revenge last night.