Pienaar signs on with Spurs as Keane hits out at 'bizarre' Birmingham

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Steven Pienaar has reached an agreement to join Tottenham Hotspur. The Everton midfielder, a transfer target for both Tottenham and Chelsea, made his decision clear on Twitter yesterday, and an official Spurs statement later confirmed they were "delighted" to have reached agreement with both Pienaar and Everton.

Before Spurs' statement, Pienaar wrote on Twitter: "To end speculation I am going to Spurs. I've had brilliant years at Everton and it will always be a special place in my heart." He later added: "I can confirm I'll be jersey No 40."

The South African had been subject to £3m bids from both Chelsea and Spurs. Chelsea were the first to offer the sum, but the 28-year-old preferred a move to White Hart Lane. Tottenham raised their bid to match Chelsea's on Monday, allowing Pienaar to join the North London club.

Pienaar joined Everton on loan from Borussia Dortmund in 2007, having previously played for Ajax. After a successful loan spell he joined Everton permanently for a fee of £2m in the summer of 2008. He signed a three-year contract, however, which was due to expire this summer, thereby allowing him to leave on a free transfer if he did not go this month.

Robbie Keane said yesterday that his proposed move to Birmingham City "was never going to happen". "That Birmingham stuff yesterday was a bit bizarre," he said, "with a statement coming out from them, which I found very strange. A deal was never really on the table, so I just think Birmingham was looking for a bit of publicity really."

Tottenham's squad will be further strengthened by the returns from injury of Jonathan Woodgate and Jamie O'Hara. Both played 45 minutes of a match against a QPR side at Spurs Lodge yesterday. Woodgate has not since November 2009. O'Hara, similarly, has not played yet this season.