Juande Ramos was close to committing up to £17.5 million to sign three players last night, two months after the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said that only “desperate” teams buy in mid-season. Jonathan Woodgate, who passed a medical, is the high-profile arrival of the trio, made up by Gilberto, of Hertha Berlin, and Alan Hutton, of Rangers, both full backs. As Woodgate left Middlesbrough, the Teesside club agreed a deal to sign Afonso Alves to break their transfer record.

Tottenham are believed to have paid an initial £6 million, rising to £7.5 million, for Woodgate, who is expected to sign a 3½year contract today. Tottenham will probably pay Woodgate a substantial loyalty fee each year to circumvent the problem of his wages of about £65,000 per week being above the highest at White Hart Lane.

Middlesbrough had expected Woodgate, whom they bought for £7 million in the summer, to join Newcastle United, but that prospect faded when Alan Shearer decided not to return to St James’ Park as assistant to Kevin Keegan, the manager. “The only way he would have gone to Newcastle is if Shearer was No 2,” Alan Woodgate, the player’s father, said.

Keegan said that Tottenham’s participation in Europe was a factor. “We can’t offer him that unless we get on a ferry,” Keegan said. “They can also offer him . . . the Carling Cup final.”

Woodgate and Ledley King may be the preferred central defensive pairing, but the partnership could quickly be disrupted because King does not appear to be able to play two consecutive matches in a week after returning from a knee injury last month. A new-look Tottenham defence could be completed by Gilberto and Hutton, who has done an about-turn and was holding talks with Tottenham last night. Hutton turned down a move this month after the clubs had agreed a fee of about £8 million, rising by £1 million. Gilberto, the Brazil left back, should complete a move from Germany, although a reported fee of £1.8 million seems too high for a 31-year-old who is out of contract in the summer. The potential arrivals could see the departure of Pascal Chimbonda and Younès Kaboul.

Middlesbrough’s move for Afonso should quash accusations that the club lack ambition in the wake of Woodgate’s defection. The Brazil striker, who visited the North East this month, when personal terms were negotiated, was en route back to Teesside last night after a fee understood to be in excess of £12 million was agreed with Heerenveen.

The deal had been delayed by AZ Alkmaar’s insistence that they had a binding agreement to sign the prolific 26-year-old, but the Dutch FA ruled against them last week.

Afonso does not fulfil the necessary criteria to gain a work permit – he has been capped eight times by Brazil and the Home Office states that nonEuropean Union players must have featured in 75 per cent of internationals over the two previous years – but Middlesbrough are confident that an appeal will be successful. Their previous record was the £8.15 million they paid Empoli for Massimo Maccarone.

Portsmouth completed the loan signing of Milan Baros until the end of the season from Lyons yesterday, while Mohamed Sissoko, the Liverpool midfield player, was undergoing a medical at Juventus last night and should complete a move for about £8.1 million today.

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