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Peter Odemwingie has blasted West Bromwich Albion in a sensational interview the day after his potential move to Queens Park Rangers collapsed.
The striker turned up for training on Friday morning but after talks was sent home by Steve Clarke ‘to clear his head’.
Odemwingie will not be involved in Sunday’s game against Tottenham but the club confirmed they held discussions with him today.
He met with Clarke, and board members Dan Ashworth and Richard Garlick for preliminary discussions which the club say ‘proved constructive’.
Odemwingie said: ‘I have been given a few days off and will be back in training next week.’
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Hopes dashed: Peter Odemwingie failed to secure a move to QPR despite driving to London
On television he accused the club of reneging on a gentlemen’s agreement and claimed that when he signed for West Brom from Lokomotiv Moscow it was done in a ‘wholly unprofessional’ way.
The striker said that Albion had not received permission from Moscow but that ‘these things don’t matter so much when adults are dealing with each other’.
The Nigeria international had a meeting with West Brom technical director Dan Ashworth before he left the Midlands and he believed in the meeting his departure had been sanctioned.
Odemwingie said goodbye to team-mates at The Hawthorns and drove to London in the belief his move would be resolved as the deadline loomed.
He told Sky Sports News: ‘I learned now that the role of technical director is not superior to a chairman.
‘When you are in England, you are gentlemen and you have to understand each other.
‘After talks there was no need for training. I said I can go now, I got the go ahead from what I understand.
Busy day: Harry Redknapp bolstered his squad in other areas, while Steve Clarke had to pick up the pieces
Managers’ reactions
Arsene Wenger – Arsenal
That looked quite strange. I couldn’t believe the player wasn’t there without having being sent by his club.
But I wouldn’t put the blame on Odemwingie because sometimes the players are told wrong information by their environment.
He looks quite a nice guy but he looked a bit lost there. I don’t know what people around him have told him.
On whether he has known a similar situation:
Personally no, because we always take guarantees from the club who sells the player. You need to ask for permission of the club who is selling to get the player to travel.
You cannot do it without it. We have so many strange things, if you don’t check your phone calls today, you can be in some very surprising situations.
Some people, it has happened to us, tell you they represent a club and they give the word you can talk to the player, but they are not at all the people you expect them to be. It is difficult.
On whether Odemwingie would play at West Brom again:
You have to analyse case by case what happened and try to understand what happened.
You have to give credit to the player. Odemwingie is 31 years old, he is a long time in the game.
I don’t think he would have done that without any permission from anybody. I would try to understand what happened.
Sir Alex Ferguson – Man Utd
I don’t know the full circumstances. I don’t know whether he thought he had permission or thought the deal was done but he had a wasted journey anyway.
Paul Lambert – Aston Villa
It’s ridiculous. I don’t know why he did it. I don’t know what’s happened there.
But the dressing-room will sort that out when he gets back.
I’m pretty sure that if they’ve got anything about them – and I’m sure they have – that the rest of the players will be sorting that out.
.’I went round to thank everyone in the club, the laundry, left some autographs. I promised to come back next week. I will miss them. I want to see everyone to say thanks very much.
‘In my opinion everything was done right. In the last moment I don’t know what happened. I think he (Ashworth) can deny it, he has to look good in this situation.
‘Anyway, we will find a way forward which is suitable for everyone. The truth is we all went wrong somewhere. A few days ago he told me himself we could have handled it differently. I agreed.’
‘I said we have burned some bridges. It was never out of money, it was my professional desire.
‘I was ready to give up my bonus of £300k already earned and I offered it back to the club.
‘It was not about money and I am confused. I don’t know really what happened.
‘Whatever path we have to take, we need to sit down and iron this issue out.
‘I came to this club in a wholly unprofessional way. I wasn’t given any permission by Lokomotiv Moscow.
‘I’m saying these things don’t matter so much when adults are dealing with each other.
‘Yes I have learned some things. My only regret is that I didn’t have a paper in my hand before I went to London, but I was aware of traffic and there was no time to fit in medicals.’
‘I understand West Brom being angry, but we all know our position and we were almost there.
‘I will say I had a great time at West Brom, a few difficult moments, but they cannot overshadow my happiness I had here.
‘I have gratitude for the fans, they always sang and supported me. There is a bad moment here, but I believe if West Brom bought me back they think there is a way I can be back on the pitch giving my best for the team.’
Whether he can find a way back in to the Albion team remains to be seen. There is still time for him to move elsewhere – the Russian, Swedish, Norwegian and Serbian windows are still open.
When he was sat outside Loftus Road on Thursday night, the 31-year-old said: ‘It’s fine. West Brom was my home but this is a new chapter. I love West Brom and always will.
‘I am optimistic. A few good players have arrived here and I am happy with the trust Harry Redknapp has in me.
‘The last few results have given us a chance to stay up. I don’t think the owners will bring in so many players if they don’t think it will happen. I hope West Brom are happy with what they will get and they hope to get players.’
But furious Albion quickly made it clear there was no agreement between the clubs.
Chairman Jeremy Peace said: ‘Peter has acted wholly unprofessionally. He must now accept the fact he remains under contract for a further 18 months.’
In a statement, QPR said: ‘The club can confirm they have held further discussions with QPR but those talks have so far proved fruitless and no agreement has been reached.
Man mountain: QPR broke their transfer record to have Chris Samba shore up a leaky defence
Players’ reactions
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Does Odemwingie need a place to stay tonight?
Darron Gibson: New song by Odemwingie “Sign Me Maybe”…”Hey, I just drove here. And this is crazy. I’m in your car park. So sign me maybe” hahaha class
Rio Ferdinand: Anyone know who is looking after Peter Odemwingie??? I hope the West Brom dressing room is a sensitive + forgiving place…
.’Albion would also like to make clear that Peter has not been given permission to speak to QPR about a potential move.’
Once the lawyers became involved, Rangers decided they could not let Odemwingie into the building and he spun his Range Rover around and drove off.
QPR manager Harry Redknapp said: ‘I think he probably felt that the deal had been agreed between the clubs and it hadn’t and it was all a mix-up really.
‘I feel sorry for the lad and the way the whole thing’s turned out. It wasn’t any of our doing. I think he was maybe advised that he should turn up here and that the club had made an offer and the offer had been accepted. The wires got crossed somewhere.’
The clubs were thought to have agreed a fee of £3million plus Junior Hoilett but the Canada forward refused to move.
‘Odemwingie should have behaved better,’ said Sportsmail’s Martin Keown on BBC Radio 5 Live. ‘He’s a good player but can be replaced by West Brom. It’s clear the move is all about the money.’
QPR were ready to bump up the 31-year-old’s £37,000-a-week wages to £60k but had to back off.
Reunited: Jermaine Jenas joined Harry Redknapp again on a busy day transfer deadline day for QPR
Loan deal: Redknapp brought in Spurs winger Andros Townsend
Peace added: ‘This has brought a conclusion to what has been an unsavoury affair. The only way we would have considered letting Peter leave was if an acceptable offer was forthcoming and if we had found a suitable replacement.
‘Neither materialised and, in the end, the matter became a point of principle as much as anything.’
Odemwingie, who tweeted this month about his desire to leave, became an online joke among fellow professionals last night.
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tweeted: ‘Does Odemwingie need a place to stay tonight’. Within two hours it had been retweeted more than 16,700 times.
Speaking as the drama was unfolding, team-mate Chris Brunt said: ‘He’s probably in for a rough time. Fans are fans for a reason.
‘They love the club and follow us everywhere and some of the statements have not been great reading for West Brom fans. If he plays we would want them to be supportive but it’s a difficult situation for everybody.
‘I’m sure nobody would have wanted it to come to this, but there’s a lot of player power in this day and age.
‘It’s disappointing it’s turned out like this because he’s a talented boy and we would like to have him here. He has put himself in a difficult situation.
‘It’s not something we want to be involved in and I’m sure deep down it’s not something Peter wants to be involved in either.
‘He’s one of our best players and somebody who, on his day, can make something happen for us. It’s a difficult situation for everybody.’
The fiasco typified another crazy day of activity for Redknapp, who smashed the club transfer record to sign Christopher Samba from Anzhi Makhachlaka for £12.5m. Samba signed a contract which ties him to Rangers until 2017.
Redknapp also clinched deals for two of his former Tottenham players. Jermaine Jenas signed an 18-month deal and Andros Townsend moved on loan until the end of the season.
A move for David Bentley collapsed, as did a bid to lure Stoke’s Peter Crouch, but a centre half was the priority and Redknapp said: ‘Chris is just what we need. He’s a monster.
