Berbatov move scuppered Stoke deal

Wigan boss, Steve Bruce has revealed that it was Dimitar Berbatov's deadline day move from Spurs to Man United that ultimately put paid to Stoke's attempt to sign Henri Camara for £1m.

The Potters missed out on two signings on the final day. Although Joe Ledley's move never took off with Cardiff's insistence that he was not for sale, it was Henri Camara's aborted move to the Brit that shows what can happen to break the transfer chain.

Wigan had been hoping to land Frazier Campbell from Old Trafford and Bruce fully expected the deal to go through right up to 9pm that night, which would have freed up Camara to move to Stoke. But with Spurs attempting to squeeze maximum benefit out of Berbatov's £30.75m move and time running out for Alex Ferguson, Campbell became the deal clincher as he moved to White Hart Lane on a season long loan.

Bruce told the Wigan Evening Post: 'We were an inch away from getting the boy. At 8.30pm on deadline night I thought it was a done deal - we had agreed everything with Manchester United and Sir Alex.

'Unfortunately I then got a telephone call from Sir Alex at about 9pm saying the deal was off because Campbell was having to go to Tottenham.

'Once he became ravelled up in the Berbatov deal, that scuppered us, which was a big shame.

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