Southampton defender Dean Richards believes he has become an innocent victim of club chairman Rupert Lowe's "vendetta" with Tottenham.
Richards' proposed move to Spurs stalled after Saints valued him at a restrictive Stg£10million, and he traces the problem back to manager Glenn Hoddle's controversial move from The Dell to White Hart Lane last season.
It emerged only this week that Southampton received more than Stg£900,000 in compensation for the loss of Hoddle and John Gorman to Spurs - but it seems the legacy of ill-feeling between the two clubs also includes an unsettled lynchpin in the Saints defence.
Richards makes no bones about who he blames for the impasse over his transfer to north London.
"I have to say I'm upset about the way the chairman has handled the whole affair," said the 27-year-old former Wolves and Bradford defender.
"It seems I have been made the victim of a personal vendetta between Rupert Lowe and Tottenham."
Richards told The Sunhe is in no doubt Lowe would not have acted in the same way had another big club been interested in signing him.
"The chairman even seems to be enjoying the fact he appears to have got one over on Spurs - but the truth is I am the loser in this," he said.
"He has been totally unrealistic with his demands just because he has been dealing with Spurs.
"I am sure if an offer had been made by, say Chelsea or Arsenal, there would have been some negotiation.
"Tottenham said they would have been prepared to increase their initial Stg£4million offer but he just dismissed it out of hand. That is what has upset me."
PA