Tottenham have signed Rafael van der Vaart after the Premier League ratified their deadline day swoop for the Real Madrid midfielder.
The north London club made an late move to sign the Netherlands international on Tuesday afternoon after manager Harry Redknapp learned of his potential availability.
Spurs were left in limbo while the league looked into whether the deal had been completed in time.
However, they have now given the transfer the green light and van der Vaart will now move to the Premier League for £8million.
"We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Real Madrid for the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart," confirmed a brief club statement.
Van der Vaart moved to Real from Hamburg two years ago and went on to score 11 goals in 68 appearances for the La Liga giants.
He helped his country reach the World Cup final in July and came on as a substitute in the final defeat to Spain.
Speaking about the last-gasp nature of the deal, Redknapp had earlier explained:"It was a last-minute job. When I came in on Tuesday morning it wasn't something I was looking to do.
"I think he was going to Bayern Munich on Monday for £18million and suddenly he became much cheaper.
"They let me know around 1600 BST that he was available for £8million and, for that money, he is a top player who will definitely improve us.
"The fee has come crashing down because the deadline is so close."
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