Birmingham manager Alex McLeish offered £6million, and Spurs wanted to take the dosh.
But McLeish has since admitted they are no longer interested in signing the Republic of Ireland captain as it "would not be in the best financial interests of the club."
Bizarre or what?
But the same thing happened with former Toon winger Charles N'Zogbia in the summer.
The deal was struck - then at the last second it was pulled.
So, will Alan Pardew be back on the phone to Harry Redknapp?
Don't bank on it.
The Toon boss said today rthat the form of Shola Ameobi and Leon Best has "altered his thinking" in the January transfer window.
He wanted a striker to support Andy Carroll – but Pardew now admitted he could turn elsewhere.
Alan Pardew: “I have been really buoyed by Shola and Leon – they may just have saved me a problem looking elsewhere.
“And it’s not just them. Peter Lovenkrands has done well too and we’ve got Phil Airey just beneath them.
“Shola and Leon were as good as the home strikers at Sunderland in Darren Bent and Gyan. They did very well indeed.
“That is good for us because we have Andy carrying an injury.
“This has altered my thinking in the transfer window.
“We might be looking to improve in other departments now.
“It depends on other areas. We may look to strengthen there instead now.
“Leon Best under me has been very good indeed.
“He got the hat-trick against West Ham and, although he found it tough at Stevenage, that was possibly a bridge too far for him because he had been out so long.
“People say he was out of sorts, but I can only judge what I can see and I don’t know if I feel I want to change things.”