Tottenham emerged from yesterday's flurry of transfer activity with the only big signing on deadline day when they landed Jermain Defoe from West Ham in a £7 million move that will see Bobby Zamora move in the opposite direction.

However, Spurs' market moves were not entirely successful, with their pursuit of the Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who had agreed to sign and then rejoin Leeds on loan, thwarted late in the day. It transpired that Premiership rules state that you cannot pay for a player before he joins, which meant the deal fell through even though Robinson passed a medical and agreed terms. "Paul is a player Tottenham greatly admire and they hope to conclude the deal at the next available opportunity," said SEM Group, the goalkeeper's representatives.

Spurs, however, will initially pay West Ham £5 million for Defoe - with Zamora's inclusion believed to constitute another £1 million - and a further £1 million to be made up in appearance-related payments over the course of a five-year contract, although his first club, Charlton, stand to pick up a sum from a sell-on clause. "Losing Jermain was always going to happen because he wasn't going to sign a contract with us," said West Ham's manager Alan Pardew.

"The fee was very, very good in today's market and I insisted the move wouldn't happen unless I got Bobby Zamora as part of the deal. The first offer they made was a straight-money offer with Bobby coming on loan. If you look at this deal in the cold light of day you've got to say it's a good deal for us."

The Upton Park board had been responding to inquiries with a £12 million fee, however the West Ham chairman Terence Brown's insistence at the club's a.g.m. that "that boy's head's not right" will have affected their chances of raising such funds.

West Ham wasted no time in bringing in another reinforcement, however, agreeing a fee of around £375,000 for Wimbledon's winger Jobi McAnuff, who after Nigel Reo-Coker and Adam Nowland becomes their third signing from the Milton Keynes-based club this winter.

Defoe's move represents a welcome return to the Premiership for a player who after handing in a transfer request the day after West Ham were relegated, has been unsettled this year. He now gets a chance to link up with Freddie Kanoute, one of his occasional team-mates at Upton Park.

Defoe has picked up three red cards this season and having served his second five-match ban of the campaign, will be available for selection on Saturday. With Kanoute still on African Nations Cup duty with Mali, it is likely that Defoe will feature during Saturday's clash with Portsmouth.

However, even though Defoe is eligible for the FA Cup, his registration has not been submitted in time for tomorrow's replay with Manchester City.

The move was the culmination of five days' negotiations, and partially fulfils a pledge from Spurs' chairman Daniel Levy to invest the £15 million recently raised through a share issue. Though he continues to refuse to reveal the identity of the next manager, Levy claims Defoe's signing was under the instruction of the prospective incumbent.

Zamora's exit is a clear departure from the direction taken by Glenn Hoddle, who signed the England under-21 striker from Brighton for £1.5 million last summer. A failure to find the net in 16 league games diminished the caretaker-manager David Pleat's faith - though he did score in the League Cup against West Ham.

Middlesbrough failed in their bid to sign Mark Viduka from Leeds yesterday but their manager Steve McClaren was delighted that the Australian striker had at least agreed personal terms with the Teessiders. McClaren blamed "politics at Leeds" for the £3 million transfer stalling. Leeds's creditors did not want the leasing company, which effectively owns Viduka, to profit while no other creditors are currently receiving any money.

McClaren did complete one transfer, however, that of the Brazilian international Ricardinho, who has joined on loan until the end of the season.

Leeds, however, let striker Michael Bridges go to Newcastle on loan for three months with Newcastle defender Steve Caldwell going the other way until the end of the season.

Bolton signed Liverpool right back John Otsemobor (20) on a season-long loan deal.