Saido Berahino to Tottenham: £22m bid rejected, but Harry Redknapp predicts striker will still leave West Brom

Sale of player 'not on agenda' for Baggies

Saido Berahino (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes Saido Berahino will join Spurs before the end of the transfer window.

West Brom yesterday announced that they had rejected an improved offer from White Hart Lane for their star asset.

The bid was understood to be around the £22m mark and an improvement on an offer of £18m from Spurs earlier this month.

In a statement on the club's website, West Brom said: "West Bromwich Albion can today confirm the Club have rejected a second offer from Tottenham Hotspur for Saido Berahino."

Albion Chairman Jeremy Peace said: "Our position remains unchanged. The sale of this player is not on our agenda."

Despite those developments, Redknapp expects the striker will move.

"It's only a game of poker at the moment between (Tottenham chairman) Daniel Levy and Jeremy Peace," former Tottenham boss Redknapp told talkSPORT.

"Jeremy Peace holds all the aces in that situation because Tottenham are desperate for a striker - he's the one they've identified, so I think the deal will happen before the deadline.

"Everything's probably all done with the player behind the scenes. He probably has a good idea about where he's going to live, even.

"All it is now is a game of bluff between the two chairmen, who are trying to get the best deal for their clubs.

"In this case, and in Everton's case with John Stones, the aces are held by the clubs with the players, because they are two players who are really wanted and they'll squeeze another million or two out of the deal, for sure.

"Spurs need something at the moment and Berahino's a good young player, there's no doubt about that.

"I think it's a good deal for both clubs and I don't think (West Brom manager) Tony Pulis is going to lose any sleep over losing him.

"He's got a few strikers at the club and he'll be quite happy now to take the money and not have an unhappy man at his club."

Berahino appeared to have moved a step closer to joining Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night when he submitted a written transfer request. That request was rejected.

Berahino was not in the squad for West Bromwich’s defeat to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.

The West Bromwich manager, Tony Pulis, said: “He’s a young lad who needs to be protected. There’s loads of stuff going on in his mind and there are loads of clubs, not one but 15, saying things and doing things.”