Brown defends Campbell hope

Tigers came close to landing striker

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 3rd September 2008

Fraizer Campbell Hull City

Campbell: Impressed at Tigers last season

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Phil Brown insists Hull were among the contenders to land Fraizer Campbell on transfer deadline day.

The Tigers had earmarked the talented 20-year-old striker as their top priority on Monday, having seen what the youngster is capable of during a season-long loan spell last year.

Hull were believed to have tabled a £7million bid for the Manchester United starlet, an offer which would have smashed their current transfer record.

However, with the Red Devils pulling out all the stops to land Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov, Campbell eventually opted for a loan move to Spurs.

The failure to land their No. 1 target has led to criticism from some quarters that Phil Brown's men were never in the running to land a player whose reputation has soared since his previous spell at KC Stadium.

Complicated

Brown, though, believes that is not the case and did all he could to push through a record-breaking swoop.

"The Fraizer Campbell situation became complicated and I just have to thank the chairman for sticking to it" Brown told the Hull Daily Mail.

"We were very hopeful of getting Fraizer all the way through. We'll keep in-house what went on, but we were involved with Fraizer until the moment he went to Tottenham.

"I have to say to the Hull fans that not only have they a chairman who's willing to put £7m on the table, but one who dealt with Tottenham and Manchester United.

"In the end, though, we just couldn't compete with Tottenham in the Berbatov deal."