Tottenham have to be backed to make last deadline-day signing

Tottenham are no strangers to conducting business on the final day of a transfer window and as a result 10/1 looks a reasonable price that they are the last team to confirm a signing before the 11pm deadline.

Although Harry Redknapp is regularly referred to as a wheeler dealer, chairman Daniel Levy is equally to blame when it comes to last-minute offers to ensure that the club get the best possible price.

This has already been proved in recent days by signing Lewis Holtby early from Schalke for a cut-price £1.5m.

Clint Dempsey may not have hit the ground running at White Hart Lane yet, but snaring him for £6m on deadline day in the summer seemed a fine bit of business at the time.

Meanwhile, exceptionally late deals involving Spurs are not alien. Most memorable was the capture of Rafael Van der Vaart in 2010 after a previous bid from Bayern Munich had supposedly fallen through.

Holtby’s arrival this window has filled Spurs’ midfield void, but a new striker still remains a chief priority, especially with Jermain Defoe potentially needing surgery to cure a pelvic problem.

Leandro Damiao has been the one name that has seemingly interested Andre Villas-Boas the most and it would be no surprise if some late business was conducted to secure his signature.

QPR head the market at 6/1 to have the last signing announced on Sky Sports News before the 11pm deadline and the fact that Redknapp is in charge is the logical reason for this.

Other deadline-day specials include which player will be the last to move before 11pm, with Peter Odemwingie and Tom Ince leading the way at 10/1.

So far in the January window, a combined £78m has been spent, with Daniel Sturridge and Loic Remy the most expensive to date.

It is 10/11 that under £150m is spent by the end of it and this seems decent value given that there is unlikely to be new recruits topping the £20m barrier single-handedly.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date