EXCLUSIVE: Gunners' attempt to gazump Spurs in their move for Woodgate fails

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The Middlesbrough and England centre half underwent a medical at White Hart Lane, agreed terms and shook hands with the Spurs hierarchy on the deal. However, Gunners officials then made an offer £1million in excess of Spurs' bid of about £6m in an attempt to gazump their north London neighbours.

Sportsmail understands that Arsenal have failed to lure the ex-Leeds, Newcastle and Real Madrid star to the Emirates and that Woodgate was today travelling to London to complete his transfer to Tottenham.

• VIDEO: Why Woodgate is so much in demand

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Boro boy: Jonathan Woodgate shields the ball from Ryan Giggs

The prospect of Champions League football and a tilt at the Barclays Premier League title has failed to turn Woodgate's head towards the Emirates, although he would be available for Spurs in next month's Carling Cup Final against Chelsea at Wembley.

Boro chief executive Keith Lamb said: "We've agreed a fee with Tottenham and as far as I'm aware he went down at the weekend to have a medical and we're just waiting to see.

"We agreed a fee with Tottenham, Newcastle and another club [now thought to be Arsenal] but we left it up to Jonathan, he could stay or go."

Woodgate is one of Middlesbrough's prize assets but the player has been troubled by injuries in the last few years and Lamb said manager Gareth Southgate was happy to let the player go providing his valuation - believed to be around £8m - was met.

"We've got an abundance of centre-backs and with the emergence of David Wheater and with Robert Huth back and Emanuel Pogatetz, Gareth felt he could let one of them go," added Lamb.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger later denied that the club had tried to derail Spurs' signing of Woodgate, claiming on the Arsenal website that the Middlesbrough defender was not a transfer-window target.

"I do not know where that story came from. There is no truth in it at all," said Wenger, speaking in his programme notes ahead of Tuesday's Barclays Premier League game with Newcastle.

"We have never been in touch with Middlesbrough about Jonathan Woodgate."