Santini in swoop for triple act

13 April 2012

Tottenham will today complete the signing of West Ham's Michael Carrick on a four-year contract as part of a triple transfer swoop.

Carrick will make the £2million switch to White Hart Lane providing he passes a medical and Spurs are also close to tying up deals for Nice defender Noe Pamarot and Tromso's Norwegian international Morten Gamst Pedersen

West Ham midfielder Carrick has been reluctant to sign a new deal at Upton Park and the 23-year-old would have been out of contract next summer but the Championship club were not prepared to lose the England star for nothing. Portsmouth, Everton, West Brom and Arsenal have all been linked with moves for him but Spurs, who continued their fine start to the season with a 1-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday, have won the race to sign him.

Tottenham's director of football Frank Arnesen said: "Michael is a big English talent and we're very pleased to sign him, particularly at his young age. Technically he is very good, a great passer of the ball who can go left or right and with him we have a very strong midfield. We have high-quality competition for places and that's something any top club needs."

Nice's Pamarot wants to join Tottenham, even though his club are determined to block any move to North London.

Spurs boss Jacques Santini wants the powerful defender and Pamarot is desperate to head for London.

However, while Nice want to hang on to the 25-year-old, Pamarot has refused to train with the club and has threatened to withdraw from the squad for the clash with Marseille. Spurs have offered £2m for the rightback.

Pamarot said: "I know what I want and I will continue until the end. I never made any trouble. Tottenham are a club that could allow me to reach a new level."

Pamarot played twice for Portsmouth in the 1999-2000 season after joining the South Coast outfit from Martigues.

Pamarot's arrival will ease the pressure on young full-back Phil Ifil. He had another outstanding game at right-back at St. James' Park.

However, head coach Santini could have more trouble on his hands with skipper Jamie Redknapp. Redknapp looked incensed with Santini's decision to substitute him for the second successive week.

Redknapp had done enough to justify his selection against Newcastle and had provided the pass which allowed Cameroon international Thimothee Atouba to score a sensational second-half winner. Redknapp was seen to voice his unhappiness with Santini's decision but refused to criticise the coach afterwards.

Redknapp said: "There was no problem at all. I thought we played well and Thimothee took his goal superbly." Spurs rode their luck on Tyneside with goalkeeper Paul Robinson in outstanding form in front of watching England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Robinson made a number of quality saves to keep Spurs level and a rearguard, marshalled superbly by Ledley King and Noureddine Naybet, enabled them to hang on to their lead for three well-earned points.

Aston Villa manager David O'Leary has criticised referee Mark Halsey's handling of the Midlands derby with West Brom, which ended in a 1-1 draw

Olof Mellberg's fourth-minute opener was equalised by a header from Neil Clement and O'Leary was angry at a number of decisions.

He said: "I'd love to tell you what I really think, but it's too expensive these days. What I will say though, is that there were some bad decisions out there."

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David Jones (Footballer)

Santini in swoop for triple act

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