Redknapp gets his man as ‘fantastic’ Parker joins Tottenham on £6m deal

Parker, 30, had been a long-term target for Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, the former Charlton youngster having been voted Footballer of the Year for his efforts to keep West Ham up last season.

Redknapp said of Parker: “He’s a good player. I think he’s what we need. He’s a good lad, great attitude. Footballer of the year last year and he’ll be a good addition for this team – no doubt about that.

“He’s a good character, a fantastic person, a proper family man, a real good pro. He’ll be great around the place for us.”

Redknapp said his chairman Daniel Levy had been “busy on the phone all day” but said they could not agree a deal with Bolton for centre-back Gary Cahill.

Redknapp also revealed that Lwevy had turned down a n offer of £40m from Chelsea for Croatia playmaker Luka Modric on Wednesday.

Peter Crouch was set to leave White Hart Lane, with a move to Stoke all but sealed late last night.

“He wants to play football,” Redknapp said. “He’s too good not to play. He’s an outstanding player.”

Stoke also signed midfielder Wilson Palacios from Spurs for a fee reported to be £8m

It was also confirmed that David Bentley had moved from White Hart Lane to West Ham on loan.

Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal last night Arsenal sensationally resurrected their collapsed move for Mikel Arteta less than two hours before the transfer window closed.

The deal was thought to be dead after the Gunners had a bid rejected in the afternoon, with reports suggesting Everton had turned down a part-exchange offer.

But it appears Arsenal may have bowed to the Toffees’ demand for a cash-only offer, meaning they faced a race against time to get things wrapped up.

Arsenal had earlier signed Brazil defender Andre Santos, 28, from Turkish champions Fenerbahce. He will add some much-needed experience to an Arsenal backline which shipped eight goals in their humiliating defeat at Manchester United on Saturday.

Manager Arsene Wenger said: “Santos is a quality player, with the ability to both defend well and get forward and help with attacks. He has experience in the Champions League and for Brazil and has proven he can deliver at the highest level. We look forward to him having a big impact for us.”

The full-back, who did not feature in the 2010 World Cup squad, is understood to have joined the Gunners in a £6.2m deal.

Santos becomes the latest Brazilian to head to Arsenal, following the likes of Denilson, Sylvinho, Edu and Gilberto Silva.

“It was one of my dreams to play for a major European football club and I have accomplished this.

“I am very happy to be part of this team,” he said. “All the Brazilians who came to this club spoke wonders about it and I am delighted to be part of the Arsenal family.”

The Gunners also signed Germany defender Per Mertesacker. He has 75 caps and joins from Werder Bremen for a reported £8m. The 26-year-old said: “The move to London is a wish come true, to take another step in my career. The English Premier League has for me always represented an interesting challenge.”

Mertesacker played a total of 147 games for Bremen, winning the DFB-Pokal [German Cup] and reaching the final of the Europa League in 2009.