Tottenham gazumped Everton right at the end of the transfer window on deadline day to sign Moussa Sissoko from Newcastle United.
With the France international looking set to move to Goodison Park after the Toffees agreed to pay Newcastle United £30 million, Tottenham decided to up their bid at the last hour to complete the signing from under Everton's noses.
It looked like, for the longest time, that no deal would be possible at all, with Newcastle standing firm in their £30-£35m demand for Sissoko.
With no club, initially, going above the £15m mark, Sissoko's future seemed like it would be at Newcastle, before Spurs came in with a bid of £16m, and then £18m, on deadline day.
Those offers were quickly shot down by Newcastle, and with Tottenham refusing to budge, Sissoko, who left France's training camp in order to be at hand to complete a move on the final day of the transfer window, looked like he would be a disappointed man, despite making it clear he was not open to playing in the second tier of English football this season.
Everton, after seeing their move for Yacine Brahimi fail, decided to come in for Sissoko late, eventually agreeing to pay £30m, which Newcastle accepted.
A medical was immediately booked with Everton even getting a plane ready to get Sissoko down to Merseyside, but Tottenham, seeing that they had no option but to pay the £30m, matches Everton's offer and with Spurs able to offer Champions League football, the midfielder chose the London club over Ronald Koeman's men.
"I'm very happy, very proud to be here," Sissoko, who impressed one and all with his performances for France in Euro 2016, told the club's official website. "I am in the prime of my career and I want to play for a big team. I have the chance now with Tottenham so I'm looking forward and I hope we will do well in the Premier League and in the Champions League also.
"I've said a lot of times that I want to play in the Champions League so that's one of the reasons why I came here – to have the possibility and the chance to play this year. I will fight every day at the training ground and then in the games and give my best for this team. I hope we will all do well together."
Tottenham completed two more deals on transfer deadline day, signing goalkeeper Pau Lopez on a season-long loan from Espanyol and finally completing the protracted move for forward Georges-Kevin Nkoudou from Marseille.
Despite completing his medical over a month ago, Nkoudou's future was in limbo after Daniel Levy tried to change the structure of payments to Marseille, but on the final day of the transfer window, Spurs were able to agree a deal with the French club.
"I'm really delighted to sign for this team," Nkoudou said. "It's a really great English club with a lot of ambition, which is the reason why I have moved here. I always dreamed of playing in England and I watched a lot of Premier League football last year, including Tottenham games. That's what attracted me."
