Fiorentina insist they were powerless in the failure to sign Ajax striker Mounir El Hamdaoui.

The Moroccan international was expected to complete his move to Florence on deadline day, but the move fell through.

"I generally move quickly in the market so I refuse the accusations that we waited until the last minute," Viola sporting director Pantaleo Corvino said.

"In a transfer you have to reach an agreement with a club, then the player, then there is the need for a medical and then the contracts are signed.

"We did all of that and not in the final minute. The player then had some issues to resolve with Ajax and headed back to Amsterdam.

"At 3pm [local time] we sent the signed contract to Ajax and we couldn't have got it off any sooner. The contract should have been returned having been signed by Ajax with no problems.

"Instead, at 6.38pm they asked me for a bank guarantee when the banks were closed. I couldn't do anything else.

"They then sent me the contract at 7.30pm - 30 minutes after the deadline - and that had never happened to me before.

"We are moving towards a football which is too bureaucratic. I'm astonished."