Laughing all the way to the bank: Jermain Defoe managed to
pick up a tidy sum along with his transfer to White Hart
Lane.
Jermain Defoe incredibly demanded that Portsmouth pay
him a £700,000 loyalty bonus when he left to join Tottenham in a
£15million deal this week.
The 26-year-old striker - making his third January move in the
space of five years - insisted he was entitled to the golden
handshake because he had not officially requested a transfer from
Fratton Park.
During the final hours of negotiations, Tottenham said the South
Coast club would have to pay Defoe’s bonus.
Pompey told Spurs in no uncertain terms where to go and it is
believed the Londoners finally agreed to pay it themselves.
When Defoe joined Portsmouth for £7.5m last January he had a
clause in his contract that he would be paid an extra £200,000 for
every season at the club. With three and a half years left on his
deal the striker was due an extra £700,000 if he remained at
Fratton Park.
The Defoe camp’s argument was that Portsmouth did not have to
sell him unless they wanted too — and therefore they should pay the
full bonus.
A source close to the deal said: 'You can imagine what
Portsmouth’s reaction was when they were asked to reward Jermain
for his loyalty.'