Transfer news: Fulham conclude club-record £12m deal for Kostas Mitroglou - fending off late West Ham plot to hijack the deal
The Cottagers have spent in the region of £12m on the Greek striker
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Your support makes all the difference.Fulham have won the race to sign Olympiacos striker Kostas Mitroglou for a club-record fee believed to be in excess of £12m, despite West Ham United launching a last minute bid to scupper the deal.
Mitroglou signed today after agreeing personal terms on a supposed four-and-half-year contract with the Greece forward turning the Hammers down on deadline day.
Rene Meulensteen had been lead to believe that a £12.4m transfer was just a matter of time but the Hammers were growing increasingly confident last night that Upton Park would be his destination.
In a move which may be felt across the country - with Dimitar Berbatov's switch to Tottenham reliant on him moving to Fulham - the Premier League rivals went head-to-head for his signature.
The Cottagers announced the news on Twitter: "IT'S OFFICIAL: We welcome new FFC player and Greek international Konstantinos Mitroglou," they said.
Sam Allardyce, on the other hand, is desperate to add to his options up front.
After being out-manoeuvred on a number of occasions so far during the winter window, Allardyce appears to have now decided to play his rivals at their own game but faces defeat once more.
He said: "At this stage, there are few players available in the window - and this season [fewer] than ever before.
"We all end up chasing the same player. I thought I'd have been sat with Lacina Traore here, when I was sat with the sporting director of Monaco just about to sign the papers. And all of a sudden, it didn't happen.
"The volatility of this window is pretty ferocious, on the basis that you can't think you are going to sign somebody until he has signed on the dotted line because you never know what is going to happen."
Allardyce then alleged: "I've had players pinched from the hotel, I've had them pinched from the airport when everything has been agreed.
"I genuinely threaten to sack the secretary if he doesn't get the paperwork done and sign the player that day. Even though it could be 11.30 at night, you can't leave them in the hotel. From my experience, that is very dangerous."
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