Scott Duxbury has said that West Ham had no plans to sanction Craig Bellamy's wish to join Spurs.
Duxbury confirms club had no plans to sell striker to rivals
West Ham United chief executive Scott Duxbury has told
Sky Sports News that the club had no plans to sanction Craig Bellamy's desire to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Bellamy secured his transfer away from Upton Park last week, penning a four-and-a-half year deal with cash-fuelled Manchester City.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was also keen to land his signature, but Duxbury has revealed that a switch from the Hammers to their London rivals was never in the offing.
He told
Sky Sports News in a wide-ranging interview: "I made it quite clear to Craig that there wasn't any possibility of him joining Tottenham.
"Why on earth should we sell any player to our rivals that would strengthen their team?
Awkward
"He did not go on strike. On the Friday he made it clear he wanted to leave and join Tottenham. He was in no frame of mind to train."
Of the move to City, Duxbury added: "I am not sure it is a sale, because a sale implies that we wanted to do it - which we didn't.
"We made it quite clear to Craig that we wanted him to stay. We didn't want to lose any player because I think we can do something quite special this season.
"I think it might have been six bids that we turned down. We didn't want him to go and he left, so that is never a comfortable situation.
"He is no longer my concern. My concern is (new signing) Savio and the rest of the West Ham players."
