Former Wimbledon and Nottingham Forest manager Dave Bassett has described Saido Berahino's behaviour in the aftermath of his failed transfer to Tottenham Hotspur as "completely unacceptable".
The 22-year-old suggested that he would not play for West Bromwich Albion again after chairman Jeremy Peace refused to warrant the sale of the striker, despite four bids from Spurs.
Both the player and the Baggies now appear to be at loggerheads, but Bassett does not believe that either Peace or Tottenham counterpart Daniel Levy can be blamed for the breakdown in negotiations.
"It's completely unacceptable for a player to go on strike. They've signed a contract and if the club don't honour that, the player is straight onto the PFA who come down on them like a tonne of bricks," Bassett told talkSPORT.
"If he refuses to play then the club can suspend him and fine him two weeks' wages every two weeks but of course it's no help to the club and no use to the player. You have to accept that if the clubs can't agree a fee you've got to get on with it - you never know what might happen six months later. Peace is entitled to ask what figure he wants for Berahino.
"It's not up to him to decide what he thinks it is unless there's a buyout clause in his contract. You can't blame him for trying to get the maximum money he can and you can't blame Levy for only being prepared to go so far. The buying club thinks that the selling club will get desperate right at the death or the other club hangs on and they hope they get the figure they want. There's brinkmanship the entire time – these things always get left to the last moment."
The two chairmen have subsequently been involved in a war of words over the deal, with Levy hitting back at Peace's criticisms earlier today.
Barney Corkhill
