Redknapp rounds on Birmingham over Keane claims

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has hit out at Birmingham over their conduct during Robbie Keane's failed transfer to St Andrew's.

Spurs accepted a 6 million bid from Birmingham for Keane last week before the Midlands outfit pulled the plug on the deal, claiming in a statement from acting chairman Peter Pannu that the striker's wage demands were out of their reach.

Keane, 30, denied those claims earlier this week, suggesting that Birmingham had made such an assertion as part of a publicity stunt. And Redknapp backed Keane's stance yesterday, insisting that it was "unfair" of Birmingham to make such a claim about the striker.

"There was never a deal with Birmingham," said Redknapp, who is willing to let the striker leave White Hart Lane this month. "He never asked Birmingham for money. He never got around to discussing a deal with them so when they said they couldn't meet his wage demands that was totally unfair on Robbie because he never made any demands. He never even spoke to them.

"I don't see how the deal could've fallen down on wage demands when he didn't make any. That's a strange one."

Redknapp completed a major transfer coup on Tuesday when Steven Pienaar opted to join Spurs over Chelsea. The midfielder, who excelled during his time at Everton, has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal for a transfer fee thought to be between 2-3 million. Pienaar will travel to Newcastle and could make his debut at St James' Park this afternoon.