TOTTENHAM stole the show on transfer deadline day but their audacious last-minute �8million move for Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is shrouded in confusion. Spurs are still sweating on the Premier League's decision...

By Ben Pearce

TOTTENHAM stole the show on transfer deadline day but their audacious last-minute �8million move for Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is shrouded in confusion.

Spurs are still sweating on the Premier League's decision over whether to approve the move - and the Lilywhites have to register their 25-man squad list with league authorities by 5pm today.

Spurs were only alerted to the Dutch international's availability at 4pm yesterday, two hours before the deadline, according to manager Harry Redknapp.

And, although the deal was agreed by the two clubs and the player before 6pm, the paperwork did not reach the Premier League until after the cut-off point.

Tottenham claim that this was due to technical difficulties involving at least one of the computer servers being used by the Lilywhites and Real Madrid.

The Premier League have opted to investigate those claims before rubber stamping the deal and, 18 hours after the English transfer window closed, Spurs are still waiting to discover if they have got their man.

Van der Vaart has 75 caps for Holland and played in five of his country's matches at the World Cup, including the final.

However, the 27-year-old has been forced out of the Bernabeu after the arrival of Mesut Ozil from Werder Bremen, Spurs' Champions League opponents.

"I think he was going to Bayern Munich on Monday for about �18m, but suddenly it became an awful lot cheaper," said Redknapp, who also made a failed �10m bid for Liverpool's Ryan Babel on deadline day.

"For that sort of money he is a top player and he will improve us for sure. We have made the effort. It was a last-minute job."

If his move to north London is sanctioned, 27-year-old Van der Vaart would become Spurs' fourth signing of the summer.

Brazilian international midfielder Sandro agreed a move to White Hart Lane back in March and has finally arrived in north London after winning the Copa Libertadores with his former club Internacional.

The 21-year-old will now travel to Barcelona to join Brazil's training camp, after being called up by Mano Menezes, who has replaced Dunga at the national team manager in the wake of the World Cup.

William Gallas has swapped Arsenal for Tottenham, joining the Lilywhites on a free transfer after rejecting a contract with the Gunners at the end of the last season.

And, having mulled over a loan deal for goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa for much of the summer, Spurs finally announced that the move had been completed on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old Croatia international joins Tottenham from Spartak Moscow on a season-long loan, having trained at Spurs Lodge for the last two weeks as Tottenham monitored his recovery from a serious knee injury, which has ruled him out for a year.

After all the speculation surrounding the likes of Robbie Keane, David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas and Alan Hutton, none of Spurs' senior squad departed during the summer.