Transfer Central

The Three Points of Tottenham’s Transfer Deadline Day

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And breath.

True to form, the Tottenham hierarchy provided another deadline day of emotional pinball for their loyal fans. The curious sales of the likes of Nacer Chadli and Ryan Mason meant Tottenham entered Deadline Day in need of reinforcements. After a links to the likes of Isco, Max Meyer and Morgan Schneiderlin came and went, eventually it became a scramble to seal the deals of long term targets George Kevin N’Koudou and Pau Lopes, while the day’s major drama surrounded Newcastle United powerhouse Moussa Sissoko, who seemed destined for Everton, only for Tottenham to hijack the move at the 11th hour. So, as we try to make sense of yesterday’s happenings, and evaluate where Tottenham now stand, I feel the best way to do this, is to look at it from three key points of view

  • Daniel Levy
  • Mauricio Pochettino
  • Moussa Sissoko

Let’s begin with the man who seems to orchestrate days like this…

Daniel Levy

I’ve spoken before of my admiration for how well Tottenham Hotspur is run as a club. Aside from the current crop of players being among the finest Spurs groups in years, Tottenham now boast a state-of-the-art training centre, one of the game’s brightest managerial prospects, a promising youth set-up and a new world class stadium is currently under construction. The strings are seemingly pulled by chairman Daniel Levy, the financial guru, who seems to make all of the above tick. Yet, in complete contrast to all of the above, Tottenham’s transfer strategy can often seem haphazard by comparison. Despite Levy’s reputation as a negotiation expert, Tottenham Hotspur have become synonymous with ridiculous transfer deadline days, and yesterday proved to be no different.

In so many years gone by, Tottenham have seen numerous Transfer Tragedies occur, where deals for key players such as Joao Moutinho seemed to be all but complete, only to fall through right at the end. In the last year of Harry Redknapp’s reign where Spurs were still in the title hunt at Christmas, January moves for Carlos Tevez and Gary Cahill were rumoured to be in the pipeline to push Spurs onto the next level, only for the over-the-hill duo of Louis Saha and Ryan Nelson to appear on deadline day. Last year, as Harry Kane struggled under the weight of Tottenham’s entire attack, a move for Saido Berahino eventually went up in smoke on deadline day Levy’s hard-ball tactics failed to sway the West Brom hierarchy.  This year threatened to re-tell the same story, as Tottenham seemed in dire need of squad depth having sold or loaned seven first team players. Moves for backup GK Pau Lopes and young prospect George Kevin N’Koudou eventually materialised after weeks of negotiation, but it was only at the last minute that Levy eventually caved in, and opened the wallet so Tottenham could bring in Moussa Sissoko for a club record £30 million.

Many fans were appalled by the figure, but the reality is, this is the new going rate. The same market the values Ryan Mason at £13million and the relatively untested Alex Pritchard at £8million, also values a fully fledged France international (on the back of a successful Euros) at £30million. On the negative side, the move does reek of desperation. Leaving so much essential transfer business to the last minute suggests poor planning, and results in Spurs being held over a barrel at the negotiation table. This is a business model that Tottenham should look to move away from. From the positive perspective however, it’s alleged that the move was eventually pushed through after an insistence from Mauricio Pochettino that this was a player he wanted. The fact the Daniel Levy put these demands ahead of his own financial acumen bodes very well for the club – we finally seem to have a Chairman and Coach who share the same ambitious vision for the club! Speaking of our Coach…

Mauricio Pochettino

As the sky seemed to be falling down around Tottenham fans on twitter yesterday as they frantically refreshed their timelines looking for a sliver of information regarding Isco or Moussa Sissoko, Mauricio Pochettino was happily kicking back on a beach in Spain with his partner – It’s not a bad life, this Premier League management role!

Many slated Pochettino for abandoning ship at such a crucial junction, but I actually took some relief from it. For our coach to be holidaying in Spain on Football’s most panic-stricken day, suggested to me a man with confidence – this man trusted Daniel Levy and co. to succeed in the boardroom while he was away, and more importantly, Pochettino trusts himself to successfully coach the Tottenham group presented to him… as he has done so far.

As it transpired, Pochettino apparently was called on, and was required to give the go-ahead for the late move for Sissoko. It’s unclear or not whether the likes of Chadli and Mason were sold because they weren’t part of Pochettino’s plans, or because the offered price was too good to turn down, but it was certain that Tottenham needed a squad boost on the window’s final day. Having spoken earlier this week about wanting to add a new dimension to Spurs play, with special reference to pacey Liverpool signing Sadio Mané, the move for Sissoko was logical, if overpriced, and Pochettino will most likely be excited about incorporating the powerful Frenchman into his side. However, despite my confidence, I want to highlight a possible dark timeline that Tottenham have hopefully avoided…

If Tottenham finished yesterday’s transfer window with 7 first teamers out, just Janssen and Wanyama in, and a healthy net profit, then Spurs would be facing an extremely difficult year ahead. The squad would have been stretched thin by European and domestic demands, and players would quite possibly have been wondering why Tottenham didn’t show some ambition by investing in the transfer window before their Champions League season? Tottenham would then face an extremely difficult task the following summer convincing Pochettino and other prized assets that Tottenham was the ambitious club we all currently think it is!

Thankfully, reinforcements did arrive, even if it was a little later than we’d like. Pochettino can now say with confidence that he is overseeing a better Tottenham squad than what he had in the season right before. Wanyama provides an upgrade on Mason in the centre midfield position, while George Kevin N’Koudou offers a much needed explosive option out wide. Vincent Janssen fills a much needed vacancy in the striker depth chart. But what about the man of the hour? Well…

Moussa Sissoko

If you’d told a Spurs fan back in 2012, that four years later Spurs will buy Moussa Sissoko from a relegated Newcastle side for the same price as Luka Modric was just sold for, they’d have escorted you towards the nearest medical professional to have your head examined.

Yet this is the transfer market in 2016.

Paul Pogba cost £90million. John Stones cost £47.5mil. Hulk cost £46.5million. Christian Benteke cost £27million. Dwight Gale cost £10million.

It all started when Andy Carroll cost £35million.

The transfer market is gone mad, and to worry about it is a fool’s game – There is nothing we can do about it. Shortly after the eye-watering transfer of Paul Pogba to Man United (who left Old Trafford for nothing four years previously) I wrote an article about the crazy world of Football Finance and had my article been a book, yesterday’s deadline day would have made a great second chapter.

Yesterday for the first time ever, but almost certainly not the last, over £1 billion was spent in football transfer fees over the course of the Summer Window. It’s a mind-blowing figure, but put’s Spurs pursuit of Moussa Sissoko into some perspective – Tottenham aren’t crazy, they are just a product of the world they live in!

My point is, as difficult as it may be, we should not get hung up on the numbers. Instead, let’s judge Moussa Sissoko as a player, and what he’ll bring to White Hart Lane.

Straight off the bat, Pochettino allegedly pushed home the deal for Sissoko, and it’s easy to see why. Pochettino favours a high intensity, energetic, pressing style of play. With Sissoko, Tottenham now boast one of the league’s most dominant athletes. Sissoko is a physically dominant player with an indefatigable engine and of course, bundles of pace.

Every Tottenham fan has noticed how blunt the team has looked in the opening weeks of the season, where Eriksen and Kane have been stifled, and scoring chances have been few and far between. A direct, pacey player like Sissoko offers Spurs an option to break through opposition lines and create new channels for attack. Defending against players of Sissoko’s abilities means opposition defences must lie further back in their own half, creating more space for the likes of Lamela and Eriksen to manufacture chances. Sissoko presents Tottenham with numerous possibilities.

Many point to Sissoko’s inconsistent displays at Newcastle as a black mark on his ledger, and while this is true, I think this underestimates the importance that Tottenham could have on him. With all due respect to Newcastle, we’ve seen countless promising players underperform on Tyneside in recent years (For example, Hatem Ben Arfa, who is after sealing a move to PSG following a promising year after leaving Newcastle). Sissoko showed a glimpse of his obvious ability during Euro 2016 when he excelled with better teammates for France and I believe that in Tottenham, a healthy combination of quality teammates, an intelligent manager and supportive fans will bring the best out of Tottenham’s record signing.

Come on You Spurs!

Transfer Talk: Tottenham get Isco Fever

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In a week where Tottenham’s curious transfer activity has led to questions from fans following the departures of Nabil Bentaleb, DeAndre Yedlin and now possibly Nacer Chadli, and where Tottenham again struggled to break down opposition for the third week in a row, hopes were swiftly raised as Spurs were linked to Real Madrid star Isco Alarcón.
The talented playmaker has found himself out of favour at the Bernabeu, and a move to White Hart Lane may be a perfect situation for both parties. Two questions now remain: Is this more than just paper talk? And if so, can Daniel Levy push through a deal before Wednesday’s deadline…

Here’s a scenario: A young Tottenham team find their rhythm and end a successful season with long wanted Champions League qualification. As the new season approaches, the general consensus is that Tottenham need another injection of quality to cement their elite status. As a result, a move is made for an out of favour Real Madrid star. Now, the question, am I describing this season, or am I talking about the 2010-11 season where Spurs also found themselves preparing for a Champions League campaign?

Back in 2010, Tottenham bit the bullet, and sealed a deal on deadline day for Rafael van der Vaart. The Dutchman became a cult-hero overnight, on his way to scoring 15 goals from the attacking midfield position on his debut season. While the goals drew accolades, it was very much his passion and all-round play that made him a fan favourite. In terms of the team as a whole, the addition of a player of van der Vaart’s quality seemed to raise the performance and confidence of those around him, while it sent out a clear message to the opposition that Tottenham were a force to be reckoned with. Now in 2016, as Tottenham find themselves in a similar situation – a team in need of a spark – Isco represents the ideal solution.

What’s Isco’s story?

In 2011, Isco was picked up by newly-minted Malaga CF after starring for the Valencia B side. After a promising first season, Isco thrived in an attacking midfield role in year two as Manuel Pellegrini’s side contested the Champions League. Isco impressed as Malaga made their way to the Champions League Quarter Finals, and continued his good form for the Spain U21 side in European Championships. Isco starred alongside Bayern Munich’s Thiago as Spain waltzed to victory in the tournament. Inevitably, as tends to happen with Spanish prodigies that ply their trade outside of the Captial or Catalonia, Interest from either Barcelona or Real Madrid is never far away. Soon after, it was announced that the 21-year old playmaker would be joining Real Madrid for €30million.

Despite starting brightly (with a goal and an assist in his debut), problems for Isco arrived when coach Carlo Ancellotti decided to switch to a 4-3-3 formation, which accentuated the strengths of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, but limited the impact of Isco – a natural number 10. Isco constantly provided numerous glimpses of his vast ability throughout his time in the Bernabeau, but as Madrid changed coach from Ancellotti, to Benitez and now Zidane, Isco has failed to carve out a niche for himself in the first XI. The additions in the past two years of fellow attacking midfielders James Rodriguez, Mateo Kovacic and recently Marco Asensio have made Isco’s task in Madrid even more difficult. This scenario is uncannily similar to that of van der Vaart, who was cast aside by Madrid, who had just invested in Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria and Sergio Canales in the summer of 2010.

What can Isco offer?

Very simple: X-Factor.

And I’m not talking about the Simon Cowell, sob story-filled TV Show, I mean legitimate difference making ability.

So many games are contested between even teams, but are eventually decided by a moment of magic by a single difference maker. This is what Man City bought when they brought in Kevin De Bruyne, or what Man United got when they brought in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As much as we hate to admit it, it’s also what Mesut Ozil brings to Arsenal – The ability to provide moments that decide the outcome of a match. It’s football’s most valuable trait. How many times before, has it looked like Spurs were destined to drop points, only for Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli or Harry Kane to save the situation? Adding another matchwinner, who provides top tier talent, into the fold would push Tottenham on to the next level.

For the third week in a row, Tottenham looked bereft of pace, and as a result, rumours of a move for speedsters like Wilfried Zaha and George Kevin N’Koudou gathered pace, before the Isco link surfaced. While Isco himself could not be said to be a particularly pacey player, the amount of attention he would draw from opposition defences would create acres of space for Tottenham’s other players to cause havoc. Isco is a classical playmaker, directing the play of his team’s attack, and linking him up with players of similar football intelligence such as Kane or Eriksen would cause nightmares for defences. Isco is also a highly adept dribbler, and in 2013 Marca journalist Pablo Polo praised the young playmaker as Spain’s most exciting prospect, comparing his skill level and balance to that of Sergio Aguero. His vision and playmaking ability has also been compared to French legend Zinedine Zidane (by the man himself even!) – High praise indeed!

Can it happen?

Tottenham have had their hopes raised prior to Transfer Tragedies before, but with just about three days before the transfer window shuts, there is a suspicion that this move may have substance. After bringing in approximately £13million from the sale of Yedlin and Pritchard, and with Ryan Mason and Nacer Chadli now likely to leave for a combined £23million, it appears that Tottenham are saving up a lump sum, while also freeing up plenty of wage space. Isco is believed to be on a relatively modest £60k/week deal at Madrid. If a loan deal was to happen, no pay-rise would be necessary, but if a permanent move to Tottenham transpired, surely a pay-rise would be part of the package. Either way, his wages would fall nicely within the Tottenham business model – a refreshing change for a target of this calibre.

So, assuming Tottenham have the required funds, and Real Madrid could be convinced to do business, what about the man himself?

Isco needs to reignite a stagnant career. He is still young, but the spark he showed so early in his career is in danger of being snuffed out if he sits on the Bernabeu bench for much longer. There’s no doubt that Isco will still get some game time if he remains in Madrid, but whether he will ever successfully see off the challenge of Rodriguez, Asensio, Kovacic or whoever Madrid’s next Galactico is remains unlikely. Isco would do well to examine the case of Alvaro Morata, who found himself on the fringes of Madrid, before moving to Juventus. At Juve, he became an integral part of their success, and after two years, has pushed himself into the first XI of the Spanish national team. If Isco wishes to enjoy a similar rise, a move to Tottenham provides the perfect opportunity.

So, just as we’ve discussed the matchwinner Isco’s ability to provide decisive moments of magic, So too has Daniel Levy been able to provide crucial moments late in the transfer window. The question now: Can he provide one more?

(Last week Isco was one of six potential Late Summer Tottenham Transfer Targets I wrote about, see the rest here.)

The Curious Case of Tottenham’s Transfers

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In 2011, as Tottenham prepared for their last Champions League campaign, Spurs bolstered the side with the additions of the experienced William Gallas, the powerful Sandro Ranieri and the to-be cult hero Rafael van der Vaart. The same window saw none of the regular first team players leave the club. A similar strengthening of staff was expected this summer as Tottenham again prepare for Europe’s elite competition, yet at the moment more first team players seem to be going out the revolving door at White Hart Lane rather than coming in. So what’s going on in Tottenham’s transfer room this summer?

Let me start by saying this: I’m a big believer in the project Pochettino is overseeing here in Tottenham. His transformation of a previously ‘soft’ Tottenham side, filled with hangers-on like Paulinho and Adebayor into a more refined unit with a tougher core has been nothing short of excellent. His belief in the club’s young players has also been a huge part of this, and he deserves massive credit for the continued improvement in the likes of Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Eric Dier. And while I and many other fans share Pochettino’s faith in Tottenham’s youth products, there’s no doubt, that when four of Tottenham’s seven subs in a crunch tie against Liverpool three games into the season are Luke McGee (20), Harry Winks (20), Josh Onomah (19) and Cameron Carter-Vickers (18), that Tottenham currently have a severe lack of depth.

The Departed

With less than a week left in the transfer window, we’re now in peak ‘Silly Season’, so it’s ridiculous to read too much into what the newspaper gossip columns are saying, yet  while many fans would wish to be reading about potential names on their way into the club, there’s no doubt that there has been far more substance surrounding Tottenham’s outgoing transfer news. Last week saw Nabil Bentaleb and DeAndre Yedlin leave the club for Schalke 04 and Newcastle United respectively, while since then, Heung-Min Son, Ryan Mason and Kevin Wimmer have been linked with moves away from White Hart Lane.  Unless Tottenham are saving up their pennies for a mind-boggling Antoine Griezmann bid (Don’t get your hopes up), then I must admit I’m baffled by the goings on?

The move for Yedlin was expected, as he found himself firmly behind Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier on the depth chart. Yet the loss of Nabil Bentaleb (albeit on loan, for now) raised many eyebrows around the club, after he excelled in a central midfield role in Pochettino’s debut season. Even though I still believe the rumours to be nothing but paper-talk, it’s still unfortunate to see Heung-Min Son and Kevin Wimmer linked with moves away, as both players are still only finding their feet in London, and showed plenty of impressive moments in their debut campaign. The sale of players such as Son and Wimmer would be perfectly plausible for a mid-table side looking to consolidate their position while turning over a healthy net spend, but for an honours-chasing side like Tottenham, these players must be added to, not subtracted from!

Reinforcements

In all three games of the latest EPL season, Tottenham have struggled to find the spark. During the two draws against both Merseyside teams, Tottenham really only kicked into life after going one goal down, while the cagey win over Crystal Palace was a similarly frustrating affair as Tottenham only managed to break the deadlock right at the death. The side, which blew teams away with their high-energy approach last season, seem to lack the spark right now. Tottenham have been reliant on the pressing-game forcing other teams into mistakes, allowing clinical players such as Kane, Eriksen or Alli to pounce, yet this season, teams seem more prepared for a the drive of Harry Kane, or the guile of Eriksen or Alli. As Spurs try to break down stern Premier League defences and prepare to face a wider array of high quality opposition in the coming season, Tottenham urgently need a plan B.  Pochettino has suggested recently that he is still actively searching through the market for a late summer addition that might add that extra string to the Tottenham attack.

Earlier this week, many Tottenham fans grimaced, as it was announced that Crystal Palace had rejected a bid from Tottenham for English winger Wilfried Zaha, yet while Zaha may not be every fans dream signing, the intention is clear – Pochettino wants pace.
As a deal for French attacker George Kevin N’Koudou apparently remains in the pipeline, a second bid for Zaha is highly likely to be submitted in the coming days, assuming Pochettino still believes in the huge talent that the tricky young winger showed earlier in his career. If that bid fails, Spurs fans shouldn’t be surprised if bids follow for the likes of Saido Berahino, Jesus Navas or even Ivan Perisic.

Depth

Tottenham and Leicester City deserve huge credit for exploiting the lapses of Chelsea and Manchester United to propel themselves to the upper echelons of the Premier League table last season. However, both Chelsea and United; along with Man City and Liverpool, have significantly strengthened, meaning the race to the top will be even stiffer in this campaign. Add to this, the added bonus of a long-awaited, but physically-challenging Champions League campaign, and Tottenham’s need for depth this season becomes obvious. The much needed addition of Vincent Janssen gives us a much needed boost up front, while the purchase of Victor Wanyama has brought more steel to the midfield which is still currently without Powerhouse Moussa Dembele. Yet the general consensus is that these additions are just not enough, and one has to wonder whether Daniel Levy has another van-der-vaart-esque trick up his sleeve?

So, as Spurs dust themselves down and reflect on another week’s work, surely conclusion number one in Pochettino’s notebook must read ‘Reinforcements’ – Let’s hope Transfer Deadline week delivers.

The Ones Who Got Away: Tottenham’s Transfer Tragedies

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Every club has countless tales of highs and lows, but few can match Tottenham Hotspur in terms of Transfer Window drama. Many Tottenham fans have been subjected to more emotionally taxing transfer windows in the past 10 years than the average straight-thinking football fan should have in a lifetime. 

For every one great move for a Rafael van der Vaart or a Hugo Lloris, there are countless other potential deals that were dashed after hopes had been raised. Tottenham have seen more falls at the final hurdle than a wet day at Cheltenham, and with this year’s transfer window nearing its conclusion I want to use this article to have a quick look at some of the ones that got away…

Joao Moutinho

First linked to Spurs: 2012
Where is he now? AS Monaco

Minutes. That was the difference. Minutes

In the late hours of the Summer 2012 transfer window, Andre Villas-Boas wanted to stamp his own mark on the Tottenham team. With Luka Modric gone to Real Madrid, and van der Vaart moved on to Hamburg, Tottenham’s midfield was bereft of creativity and AVB turned to his countryman Joao Moutinho to provide the solution.

Spurs fans rightly mourned the loss of their two prestigious playmakers but Moutinho seemed the perfect candidate to replace them. Having excelled for Porto and Portugal in the same deep-lying playmaker role that Modric enjoyed in Tottenham, the then 25-year old seemed destined to prosper at White Hart Lane.

However, as is often the case with these tales, the transfer fee became the sticking point. Despite having raked in over £50million from the sales of Modric, van der Vaart and Niko Krancjar among others, Daniel Levy refused to pay over the odds for the Portuguese maestro. In the end, Levy’s hard-nosed negotiations seemed to be a stroke of genius as Sky Sports announced that a £22million fee had been agreed just before the transfer deadline shut. Unfortunately, all the haggling meant there was insufficient time left to push through the mandatory paperwork, and the hopes of completing the Moutinho move vanished. Hopes of a deal at a later stage were dashed in May the following year, when AS Monaco splashed out €70million to Porto for a double deal including Joao Moutinho and his teammate James Rodriguez.

Tottenham have since rebuilt and the current midfield looks as healthy as it’s been in a decade, but what about Moutinho himself? His club career at Monaco has been modest at best, where they are perennial second-fiddle to PSG in Ligue Un. On the international stage though, Moutinho was an essential cog in the Portugal team that achieved EURO glory in the 2016  European championship.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

First linked: 2008
Where is he now? Schalke

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is probably a name many Tottenham fans relate to even more than a some of the strikers who have actually played for the club.

In 2008, KJH was the latest shiney new striker to come out of the Ajax system. After being the leading scorer in the Euro u21 Championship in 2006, and leading the scoring charts in the Eredivisie in 2006 and 2008, comparisons the the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, and links to big clubs inevitably followed.

Tottenham were one of many clubs said to be interested, and fans were excited at the prospect of seeing the young Dutchman link up with fellow new signing Roman Pavluychenko. Alas, In Decemeber 2008, Spanish giants Real Madrid agreed a deal of €20million to take Huntelaar to the Bernabeu. However, Huntelaar’s time at Madrid wasn’t as successful as either party had hoped. In the following summer, after just half a season, rumour of a move surfaced, and Tottenham again were linked to the striker. As the likes of Man United cooled their interest, it seemed a move to Tottenham was imminent, until AC Milan swooped at the last second to sign the striker in August 2009.

Just a year later, KJH packed his bags again, and moved on to Schalke in Germany, where he finally seemed to settle. Between 2010 and 2014, The Dutchman hit 91 goals in 139 games, and as Spurs hierarchy began to lose faith in Roberto Soldado, the link Tottenham Hotspur surfaced once more. In summer 2014, Spurs were chasing fellow dutchman Michel Vorm when the KJH rumour was heard. At that point, Vorm was expected to arrive on loan, while KJH was supposed to finally seal a transfer to White Hart Lane. While this particular double deal never materialised in the end, it did give rise to one of the best transfer headlines of that year:

“Vorm is temporary, Klaas is permanent”

Romelu Lukaku

First linked: 2010
Where is he now? Everton

Rewind back six years to the Summer of 2010. Spain had just won the World Cup, Harry Redknapp was a genius, and Spurs apparently had a bid rejected for a Belgian wonderkid called Romelu Lukaku.

Then only 17, Lukaku was attracting admiring glances from all over Europe for his impressive displays for Anderlecht. Despite being little more than a kid, on the pitch Lukaku was already making full grown men look small. At 6’3 and almost 90kg, Lukaku looked more like an NFL Linebacker than a 17 year old striker. Add in the fact he had just hit 15 goals in 33 games in the Belgian league and we suddenly seemed to be looking at a younger clone of Didier Drogba. Anderlecht rejected advances from some of Europe’s elite for two further years, as the player was content to grow in his home country.

In April 2011, it was alleged that Spurs had jumped to the front of the queue to sign the Belgian starlet, only for Chelsea to hijack the move when the window opened, signing the striker for a reported £18million.

Despite hitting 17 goals in 35 Premier League games while on loan at West Brom in 2013, or netting 15 in 31 for Everton the following year, Lukaku failed to convince Chelsea manager José Mourinho that he could lead the line at Stamford Bridge. As a result, Lukaku was allowed to leave the club. Despite fresh links to a move to Tottenham at this point, Lukaku instead returned to Everton, where he had become a fan-favourite the previous season.

At just 23 years old, Lukaku has scored an incredible 119 goals in his 278 professional games. With 60 of those goals coming in his 149 Premier League appearances, he can now legitimately be considered not just a hot prospect, but one of the finest strikers in football. Now believed to have a pricetag of £60million, he appears to be well outside Tottenham’s budget. I’m sure there are many scouts at Tottenham who wonder what could have been.

Eden Hazard

First linked: 2012
Where is he now? Chelsea

“Maybe I’ll go to Tottenham, it’s a great English club. I said I would go to England.”
– Eden Hazard, February 2012

Early 2012 was a great time to be a Spurs fan. Gareth Bale and Luka Modric had grown into bonafide superstars, a new cult hero had arrived in Rafa van der Vaart and Harry Redknapp was orchestrating an unlikely title push. Tottenham’s bright young team looked set to be a Champions League participant the following season, and as a result, became a very attractive destination for Europe’s hot prospects. Yes, in February 2012, things seemed rosey in White Hart Lane, but, as is often the case, Chelsea came along to ruin everything.

Harry Redknapp’s flirtation with the vacant England job caused Tottenham’s momentum to stumble in the second half of the season. Yet as the season drew to a close, Tottenham cemented their place in the top 4, at the expense of a Chelsea team that had floundered in the league under Andre Villas Boas. Tottenham’s recruitment department were already looking into upgrading the squad ahead of the upcoming Champions League campaign by chasing down a deal for ‘The Belgian Messi’ Eden Hazard. Hazard himself had attracted interest from the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but Hazard wanted first team football assured, and felt a Premier League side, who would play in the Champions League, was the logical next step in his development, before an inevitable move to one of the Spanish heavyweights. His father added more weight to this theory with the following quote:

“Yes, there is interest from Spurs, and no, there’s no offer. The priority for Eden is one thing: games. Opportunities. It might be better to join a club just below the biggest.” 

While this could be viewed as an insult to Spurs, very few at Tottenham cared. They were getting one of Europe’s brightest prospects, and even if he did leave for sunnier shores in 3 or 4 years, it would only be for a very hefty price-tag.

And then Chelsea won the Champions League.

It will never fail to amaze me how it happened. Villas Boas got the chop after he lost the dressing room, and the side were trailing 3-1 to Napoli in the Champions League round of 16. Through a bizarre twist of fate, they somehow made their way to the final, where a late Didier Drogba equaliser in normal time, and a missed Arjen Robben penalty in extra-time handed them the most unlikely of victories. The downside? Only 4 Premier League teams could be allowed contest the following years competition, and with the winners entitled to automatic re-entry, that meant 4th placed Tottenham Hotspur lost out.

Once Champions League aspirations vanished, Hazard’s interest in a move to the Lane evaporated. As if to rub salt in Tottenham’s wounds, who else but Chelsea then waltzed in to pick-up the Belgian winger instead.

Four years on, Hazard is Chelsea’s centrepiece, having been Premier League player of the year in 2014. It’s hard not to wonder what could have been, had Arjen Robben been more accurate from the penalty spot in May of 2012…

Leandro Damiao

First linked: Shortly after the Big Bang
Where is he now? ???

*WARNING: Fight Club Spoilers ahead*

You really didn’t think I’d write a whole article on Tottenham’s most tragic transfer tales and not mention Leandro Damiao did you?

In the Brad Pitt/Ed Norton classic film that is ‘Fight Club’, the main character is in turmoil. His one dimensional life is missing something.

The answer to all his problems arrives when he meets the maverick that is: Tyler Durden.

Super cool, uber-confident, care-free. Durden is the epitome of everything the main protagonist is looking for. The twist? Tyler Durden doesn’t exist. He’s merely a fantasized figment of his imagination, based on everything he wants to be.

My theory? Leandro Damiao is Tottenham Hotspur’s Tyler Durden. Does he even really exist?

United had Rooney. Chelsea had Drogba. Arsenal had RVP. Even Liverpool went from Fernando Torres to Luis Suarez and yet try as they might, Tottenham Hotspur just could not find that elusive star striker. Every great club had to have one, yet despite countless moves for strikers from Roman Pavluychenko and Darren Bent to Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch, Tottenham just couldn’t find that one 20-goal a season guy, whose name all fans would want on the back of their jersey. Enter: Leandro Damiao

In 2011, Damiao shot to prominence after hitting 14 goals in 28 games for Internacional in Brazil. 6’2, lean and strong, fast and fit, and with a neat eye for goal – he was perfect! Hype grew further after Damiao earned his first Brazil call-up in March of that year. In June 2011, Tottenham were said to have an £11million bid rejected for the striker, yet during that summer, it was said that his next move was to be to either Tottenham or Inter Milan. As it conspired, no move for Damiao materialised from either European club, and he continued to ply his trade in Brazil.

Even as Tottenham changed managers in 2012, new Head coach Andre Villas Boas was still said to be keen on the Brazilian hitman, and a move was said to be in the pipeline for that entire summer as Tottenham desperately chased a striker. Instead, a move for Emmanuel Adebayor was clinched instead, and the mythical Brazilian stayed at Internacional.

As the experiments with the likes of Adebayor and Roberto Soldado were trialed and failed, Leandro Damiao was constantly linked to a move to White Hart Lane during Andre Villas Boas tenure as manager.

Then, in 2014, a tall mobile number 9 with a shrewd eye for goal finally did appear on the same – His name though was not Leandro Damiao, and instead it was Harry Kane who was leading the line at Tottenham Hotspur.

Since that time, Kane has gone from strength to strength and has just come off his second straight +20 goal season. Damiao meanwhile has faded out of relevance. His last appearance for the Brazilian national side was back in 2013, and now at 27, he finds himself on loan at Flamengo, a distant thought from the White Hart Lane faithful.

For a further (fictional) look into what has happened Leandro Damiao since, I highly recommend this excellent piece from the Cartilage Free Captain Tottenham blog titled ‘The Cautionary Tale of Leandro Damiao‘

I hope you enjoyed reading! Thanks – @ThinkSpurs

 

Transfer Talk: Munir to Tottenham?

The Bunsen Baller Transfer Central , , , , , ,

As Tottenham approach Gameweek 3 of the new Premier League season, the Lilywhites have found it difficult to breakdown opposition in the two games so far. With Mauricio Pochettino stating last week that he was still in the market for reinforcements, news broke today that Tottenham are hot on the trail of Barcelona starlet Munir El Haddadi. So, what would Munir bring to White Hart Lane?

Prodigy

Munir joined the famed ‘La Masia’ Barcelona academy in 2011 after a brief stint at Atletico Madrid. He first shot to prominence after starring for Barcelona U19s in the UEFA Youth League in the 2013-14 season. The Spaniard racked up 11 goals in 10 games throughout the tournament, including a two goal haul against Benfica in the final. Over the next year he broke onto not just the Barcelona B side, but also the senior Barcelona team, making occasional appearances alongside Lionel Messi et al.

However, Munir is now 20 years old. His senior career is still in its infancy, yet with the All-star trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar still firmly ahead of him in the pecking order, Munir; and his agent, have most likely come to the conclusion that regular first team football is most likely to arrive away from Camp Nou for the near future. An ambitious club like Tottenham Hotspur, currently on the rise, represents the ideal opportunity.

Skillset 

So, assuming the rumours are true, and both Tottenham and Barcelona are currently in negotiations regarding the future of the young attacker, what will Munir bring to the table at White Hart Lane? Well, straight off the bat, you can already expect a player with remarkable technical ability, when you consider that he was part of the famous La Masia academy since 2011. When Barcelona won the Champions League in emphatic fashion in 2011, no less than 7 of the 11 starting players that day were La Masia graduates – that should tell you all you need to know about that incredible youth set-up.

There’s a phrase I like: ‘You’re the average of the people you spend most time with’. This idiom doesn’t mean that if you consider you and all you’re friends and colleagues, that you’re the middle of the road. Not great but not the worst. It simply means that we are all like a sponge, and we can’t help but adapt some of the traits and characteristics of those we spend most time with. Well, luckily for Munir El Haddadi, he spends his time in very esteemed company. Messi, Neymar and Suarez combined for a mind-boggling 131 goals last season. For a young attacker to see these three maestros in action day-to-day in training is a gift most young strikers would kill for. It’s no coincidence that when Munir is on the pitch, he seems to share the sort of creative instincts and football intelligence that the MSN trio often exhibit. The next thing you notice about Munir is that the similarities to his teammate Neymar don’t just stop at appearance. Like the Brazilian star, Munir is a lightweight, super-quick wide attacker, who loves taking on players and has a keen eye for goal. Munir has netted four times for the Barcelona senior side since 2014 in 28 appearances, with many of those coming from the bench. His goalscoring threat is even more encouraging when you look at his form with the Spanish u21 side, where he has netted 5 goals in his 11 appearances. If I was to compare his style of play to someone closer to the PL, it would be another young brazilian – Phillipe Coutinho.

Aside from the rapid full-back pairing of Danny Rose and Kyle Walker, the current Tottenham side is often found lacking in pace. The likes of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen are among the finest playmakers in the league, but neither is a classic wide attacker in the mould of Munir. The addition of a player with Munir’s skillset and high potential could add a different dimension to the Tottenham attack.

Tricky Business

Many might wonder why Barcelona would let such a prodigious talent go, especially at the relatively tiny price of €15million which has been mentioned in the news. Munir himself recently committed his future to Barcelona in a deal that included a €60million buy-out clause. The key to all this business is of course, a buy-back clause.

Barcelona are fully aware that Munir may well be a future star at the Nou Camp, but they are also aware that he won’t be happy to wait patiently on the bench until Messi, Suarez and Neymar are tired of scoring +100 goals a year. The ideal option to Barcelona, is to farm him out to a club for a year or two, before reeling him back in as a more developed player, then ready to contribute in Catalonia. Basically – if Munir was to arrive at Tottenham, it would be a glorified loan deal. Just this summer, Barcelona activated a buy-back clause for another academy product, when they returned Denis Suarez to the club after a spell at Roma. In a more high profile case, Real Madrid exercised the same move, bringing Alvaro Morata back to the Bernabeu after a successful spell in Juventus. At this very moment, there are already two well known Barcelona players in this exact scenario too – Gerard Deulofeu at Everton and former Tottenham target Alen Halilovic at Hamburg. Both may well eventually return to Barcelona, should they impress during their time away.

According to reports, this is where the Munir to Tottenham move is currently stuck. Having seen the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale rise to superstardom at Tottenham, Barcelona and the player himself are apparently happy to move to White Hart Lane to take the next step in this promising career. However, Daniel Levy and co. are less enthusiastic about overseeing Munir’s development into a star, before seeing him leave for a nominal fee down the line.

In my opinion, I think this move is a no-brainer. With the Premier League tighter than ever, worrying about what may or may not happen in 2-3 years time is a fool’s game. If Tottenham can get their hands on a player of Munir’s calibre now, they should jump at the chance. Players of this quality don’t arrive on the market everyday!

What do you think of the Munir situation? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Deal or No Deal? Late Summer Tottenham Transfer Targets

The Bunsen Baller Transfer Central , , , ,

Tottenham face their most challenging season in years, and while the growth of the club’s young stars in the past two years has lay the foundation for success, the general consensus is that the squad is not quite finished yet.

Pochettino this week suggested that they are still looking for reinforcements with the possibility of up to three new players joining before the window shuts. A back-up goalkeeper is thought to be one of the positions being looked at, with Espanyol ‘keeper Pau Lopes expected to join in the coming days. Meanwhile, a deal for George Kevin N’Koudou, which has long been in the pipeline is expected to reach its conclusion soon. So as Tottenham search for that elusive missing piece, I wonder who else may be on Tottenham’s radar.

(Note: I recently discussed some potential ‘Marquee signings’ for Tottenham, and you can read about those names here.)

Adam Lallana – Liverpool

With Liverpool’s squad already stacked at the attacking midfield position following the arrival of Sadio Mané and Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana may find himself as the odd one out. Lallana was one of the few who came away from England’s Euro 2016 campaign with some credit having impressed with his industrious displays on the wing. If Klopp eventually deems Lallana surplus to requirements, Tottenham would be wise to enquire about his services.

Andriy Yarmolenko – Dinamo Kiev

Despite being a leading light for the Ukrainian national team for years at this stage, Andriy Yarmolenko is still somehow plying his trade at Dinamo Kiev.

Tall, lean, strong and extremely fast, Yarmolenko epitomises the type of athletic player Pochettino seems to love. Add to this an extremely intriguing goalscoring record (25 goals in 62 games for Ukraine, and 83 in 197 for Dinamo since 2008), and you’ve got a perfect addition to Tottenham’s attacking midfield ranks.

Always eager to use his pace to take on his man, Yarmolenko would have no problem hugging the touchline while the likes of Eriksen or Alli dictate from the number 10 position. At 26 years old, Yarmolenko is at the perfect moment to make his big move and deliver straight away.

Isco – Real Madrid

This move could just as easily have been included in my Marquee Signings piece. Real Madrid are still lurking in the market to land that big fish, having missed out on Paul Pogba. For Madrid, Modric, Kroos, Bale and Ronaldo are just about automatic picks, and the striker position is sewn up between Morata and Benzema. With a new Galactico signing also potentially on the way, James Rodriguez, Kovacic, Isco and Lucas Vasquez all have a fight on their hands to make the first XI.

Now 24, Isco is too good to warm any team’s bench. He could well benefit from a van der Vaart-esque move to White Hart Lane to re-ignite his career. His alleged £60,000 weekly wage would also fit nicely within Daniel Levy’s plans. If a reasonable price could be agreed, this would be a no-brainer.

The one factor which may scupper a move for Isco, is his teammate James Rodriguez’ future. Chelsea are said to be in negotiations for a big-money move for the Colombian, and Zidane is unlikely to let both playmakers walk out the door in the next two weeks.

Rubén Neves – FC Porto

If this is the first time you’re seeing the name Ruben Neves, it most certainly won’t be the last.

As the world has gone wild for young midfield starlets like Paul Pogba, Renato Sanches or even Dele Alli, Ruben Neves seems to have been the forgotten man, yet his potential is as high as any of them.

Neves is a 19 year old defensive midfielder for the football star factory that is FC Porto. Accurate passing, clever positioning and a football intelligence beyond his years, Ruben Neves is undoubtedly Porto’s latest gem. At 17 years old he debuted for the club in the Portuguese league, and soon after appeared in the Champions League. Further evidence of his maturity is evidenced by the fact he became the youngest ever captain in a Champions League game when he wore the armband for Porto against Maccabi Tel Aviv aged just 18!

Porto may not have the striking physical attributes of Pogba or Renato Sanches which may be the reason some of Europe’s heavyweight clubs have overlooked him. If Tottenham could swoop in under the radar and sign this Portuguese prodigy, it could end up being the steal of the decade.

Youri Tielemans – Anderlecht

Going from one wonderkid to another, now we look at Anderlecht’s Youri Tielemans.

Tielemans has had a similar career trajectory to Neves. Both players thrived having been thrust into first team action at a young age. Despite being just 19 years old, Tielemans has already made an incredible 102 appearances for Anderlecht, scoring 12 goals in that time.

Tottenham currently boast arguably the most physically dominant teams in the Premier League. However, the addition of Tielemans (or Neves) would be a throwback to the Luka Modric days, where Spurs had a genuine deep-lying playmaker – currently a missing jigsaw piece in the Tottenham team.

Tottenham have already been regularly linked with a move for the Belgian starlet, however they might not be alone. Having won Belgian League Young Player of the Year twice in the past three years already, the likes of Manchester United have also been alerted to his talent.

Phil Jones

Call me crazy, but I feel like Phil Jones still has something to offer.

The young defender was a prodigy when he broke through at Blackburn. Physically dominant and extremely brave, it seemed like he ticked the boxes for a promising young centre-half. It was expected that the tactical side of defending would gradually come along after a few seasons at Man United.

Unfortunately for Jones, he fell into the unwanted ‘John O’Shea role’ – Jack of all trades, but master of none. Given very little to no opportunity to excel for long periods at his preferred centre back position, Jones was instead used as a utility man all over the defence and midfield whenever United needed to fill a hole.

Despite some encouraging performances, Jones has really stagnated in the past two years, and with Eric Bailly arriving at Old Trafford, he has been pushed further down the depth chart. Jones is still young enough to realise his potential and Tottenham could interested in bulking up their own depth at centre-back, where the young Kevin Wimmer is currently the only back-up to water-tight first choice pair of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. A move for Jones on the cheap (very cheap) could provide a nice solution for both parties.

What do you think of these potential targets? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Statement Signings for Spurs

The Bunsen Baller Transfer Central , , , ,

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Over the past two years, the three wise men in charge of Tottenham’s squad –manager Mauricio Pochettino, Chairman Daniel Levy and Head of Recruitment Paul Mitchell – have ran a tight ship at White Hart Lane. The likes of Dele Alli and Toby Alderweireld have been wonderful additions, while the even more recent additions of Victor Wanyama and Vincent Janssen add much needed depth at the central midfield and striker positions, both for reasonable prices. Spurs fans should have every reason to be sufficiently pleased with this shrewd business model, and yet, it’s impossible to just analyse your own transfer strategy, without peeking over the fence at what’s happening with your nearest rivals.

Today, rumours surfaced that Arsenal had a £42million bid accepted for Leicester star Riyad Mahrez, while Chelsea also added Leicester powerhouse N’Golo Kante to their ranks last week (In addition to Michy Batshuayi two weeks previously). Liverpool have bolstered their  ranks with the £60million duo of Sadio Mané and Georginio Wijnaldum, and it’s impossible not to look at Old Trafford, where a complete renovation has occurred, with Jose Mourinho, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly all having joined, with Paul Pogba likely to follow suit for a world-record fee.

While there’s no guarantee that mega-money transfers like the ones listed above result in immediate success (As Louis van Gaal’s £250million experiment at Manchester United proved), yet it certainly sends out a statement of intent from the above teams, that nothing but success will be sufficient this year. Teams like Atletico Madrid and before that Borussia Dortmund have shown that success can be achieved with sensible investment as opposed to marquee signings, yet Spurs fans need only think back to 2010, ahead of their maiden Champions league campaign, when Rafael van der Vaart joined the club, to see what an impact a player of this calibre can bring. Last week many Spurs fans’ hopes were raised when Mario Gotze was linked to a move to White Hart Lane to reignite his stagnant career. Alas, in the end the player opted to return to Borussia Dortmund and Spurs fans were left wondering when such a marquee player may come available again.

Well, look no further. I’ve assembled a list of targets that Levy and co. could well turn their eye to before the window slams shut in September, that would send out a message that Spurs are here to stay.

With the flying Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart in mind, the following was my criteria:

  • Affordable: Rafa’s £8.5mil fee was witchcraft even back then before football transfer fees grew wild with inflation. In today’s market, a fee of £30million or less should be deemed fair.
  • Club situation: Either surplus to requirements (like VDV at Real Madrid or Gotze at Dortmund) or a big fish in a small pond (like Eriksen at Ajax)
  • Reasonable wages: Daniel Levy isn’t going to finance this new stadium from thin air. If players are to join Spurs, wages of less than £120k/week would certainly be preferable.

Juan Mata – Man United

Exhibit A, is a player who probably winced when he saw Jose Mourinho unveiled at Old Trafford this summer. Having been named ‘Chelsea player of the Year’ two seasons in a row before Jose’s return to Stamford Bridge, Mourinho rewarded him with a place on the bench in favour of Oscar, and soon after a transfer out of the club to Manchester United. With Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Martial, Rooney, Depay all to compete with in the attacking midfield position, Mourinho is likely to offload the Spanish playmaker again, and if so, he should not be short of suitors. In 104 appearances for Man United, Mata has popped up with 26 goals – A fine 1 in 4 ratio for a midfielder!

Mata also comes with massive experience which would be a welcome addition to the young Spurs squad. In his trophy cabinet Mata is the proud owner of a Champions League, a Europa League, and FA Cup, a World Cup and a European Championship – Quite the haul!

With United keen to recoup some money from their mammoth summer outlay, and at 28 years old, a bid of £20-25mil should be sufficient. However, his current wages are rumoured to be £140k/week, but this could possibly be worked to a lower weekly wage if a hefty signing on fee was paid.

Arda Turan – Barcelona

After a long-winded transfer ordeal, Arda Turan finally sealed his dream move to FC Barca last January, despite agreeing the move in July of 2015. However, despite being a talisman for Diego Simeone’s warrior-like Atletico Madrid team, Arda struggled to make such an impact in the star-studded Barcelona side that won La Liga glory last term.

Barcelona’s interest in Turan raised eyebrows right from the start. His tireless workrate and industry for Atletico Madrid drew admiring glances from many, but with Barcelona’s style being so technical, the Nou Camp seemed a strange destination for the Turkish international. With the attacking positions sewn up by Suarez, Neymar and Messi, and midfield packed with Busquets, Rakitic and Iniesta, Arda Turan found it hard to find a niche in this Barca side. This summer, Barcelona have invested further, bringing in highly rated Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes for €50million and activating a buy-back clause to return Denis Suarez to the club. These moves leave Turan out in the cold and Spurs would be wise to enquire about his services.

At Atletico Madrid, Arda Turan was instrumental in the campaign which led to their Champions League final, scoring against Chelsea in the semi final. He was also a key part of the team that won La Liga with Atletico in 2014.

At Barca it’s rumoured that Turan earns a (relatively) modest £85k/week, which would fit nicely within the Tottenham model. Add to this the fact that his work ethic makes him the prototype Pochettino player and you’ve got yourself an ideal marquee signing.

Phillipe Coutinho – Liverpool

I’ve saved the most audacious one for last. A man can hope can’t he?

Let’s stay positive and look at some of the points in favour. Liverpool have finished their last two seasons at 6th and 8th positions. Hardly the lofty heights Coutinho hoped for when he joined. Yes, they’ve brought in Jurgen Klopp to work his magic, but a quick look at the players list shows a squad that needs major surgery before it can compete again. The entire defence is questionable and the midfield has lacked serious substance since the days of Alonso, Gerrard and Mascherano all those years ago. The attacking trio of Coutinho, Sturridge and Firmino have bailed them out more times than I can count. I have my doubts as to whether the current squad matches Coutinho’s aspirations.

Liverpool showed ambition this summer, forking out over £60million to upgrade the first-team. However both of the most expensive signings (Wijnaldum and Mané) are both attacking midfielders – the one area where Liverpool have most depth? Coutinho, Lallana, Mané, Firmino and Wijnaldum. Five players who fancy themselves starters, yet only three of the group will play in Liverpool’s regular 4-2-3-1. Wijnaldum and Mané have surely not been brought in to warm the bench which casts the spotlight on the remaining three. If Liverpool could have their attention piqued by a sizeable bid, and if Coutinho could be persuaded to buy into Pochettino’s vision, then Spurs may just have the missing link between Champions league place hopefuls each season, and title-contenders.

As a footnote, should Coutinho prove to difficult to pry from Anfield, a bid for Adam Lallana, who impressed in the Euros, would not go astray either!

What do you think of the list? Are there any potential marquee signings I’ve left out? Let me know in the comments and thank you for reading!