Poch's supposedly a big fan of Malcom, so if Levy's sanctioning the deal that's a good sign that he actually trusts his manager for a change. Then again, we all remember how Jol was a big fan of Berbatov yet had to practically beg Levy to sign off on the deal because Comolli had never heard of him, or how AVB was a big fan of Moutinho, Willian and Benteke yet Levy only sanctioned one of those moves - only for the Chavs to gazump it during his medical...
After all manner of problems with the Western When I used to work in the City, I used to walk over London Bridge every day, which seems to be the windiest place in the entire world. On really wet windy days, there'd be a couple of people trying to shelter under something that looked exactly like that, after the wind had destroyed the umbrella that it used to be.
I’ve read that Malcom will agree a deal now but not join until the summer. I know very little about him but surely we would want to sign him now and use him for the rest of the season?
If we're paying that much now it's obviously a land-grab - although with GKN loaned out it does beg the question what the plan is if we pick up an injury in the attacking band. Unleash Shashoua?
I was sort of wondering why it was looking like a summer deal, too. The only things I can think of is that Poch feels at Malcolm's age he'd rather he kept playing for another half a season than join us midway through a campaign where he won't know the league and won't get in the XI immediately. Also, should any injuries happen (which we all know will as we're Spurs), Poch can choose to operate the three at the back formation again now seeing as Wanyama can allow Dier to drop back or once Toby is fit he'll slot in with Jan and Dave. I'd much rather he joined straight away though if I'm being honest, will be nice to boost the competition in those three roles as all Son/ Eriksen/ Dele have at the moment is a Lamela who's still getting back into a rhythm after his long layoff.
A week or two ago, I read an article where MP said that, with this being a World Cup summer, we wanted to get our business done early. It looks like this is next season's budget, to me. We don't have £40m sloshing around that we didn't spend this summer. If it is genuine, it would make all the sense in the world, given that there's likely to be even more inflation on fees and wages operating between now and then. I don't see a problem with GKN's departure. He's nowhere near playing for the first team in a meaningful way and with Erik Lamela's return from injury, that just becomes more the case. I don't think that we'll see GKN in a Spurs shirt again. He's gone, just like Vinnie.
Just need to do the same with Sessengon then and we won't need a summer transfer thread, as Poch said the players that he wants to keep ain't going anywhere.
Malcom talking about a possible move away from Bordeaux... "I don't know if I'll stay. I don't know if I'm going to leave. I leave that to my agents, to the club. If I go, that's good. I'd be grateful to Bordeaux forever. That's life, these are the choices. We'll see." "If I have to stay, I'll stay. If I have to leave, I'll leave. As long as I'm here, I'll do my job." Asked about his desire to move to the Premier League, he said: "Yes, it's a dream. It's a dream for all players and for me it's no different. But as long as I'm here, I have to do my job well." He seems like a sensible young man, who respects his current club. I like that.
Dortmund's implosion appears to be continuing apace, as they're also trying to offload Andre Schurrle (or, to be more accurate, his wages) and are willing to accept an 18-month loan with 50% of his wages covered. Considering his wages are at £103k p/w, half of that would fit into our wage structure quite nicely, wouldn't it?
Shows you how restrained Bungesliga wages are wrt the PL if Dortmund are thinking so. That aside, I would also add to your comment : 1. He has PL experience 2. This is WC year, so no doubt he wants a run of games to show he can reproduce his performance of summer 2014.
Also, most importantly of all, his arse is once again working properly. ...probably should explain that one, huh? When he was at Wolfsburg he had muscular problems in the gluteus maximus area, and as he told Bild... "I have a [misalignment/problem/deformity], which affects my muscles. With the consequence that they [harden/stiffen] more easily. My muscles in the buttocks and thigh area are repeatedly blocked, which was partly due to a vertebral problem in the back. By hardening I could no longer perform certain movements without pain and could no longer sprint properly." "[Treatments/injections?] have helped me... When I'm 100 per cent fit, I have my liveliness..." As a result he spent half a season unable to play the full 90 minutes due to fitness and injury problems.
Here's a weird combination of the old and the new: Malcom's not leaving Bordeaux in January, according to their new manager... Gus Poyet. Could be rubbish, of course, as he's just repeating what their board have told him. The buy and loan back thing could also make it true, though I think that's unlikely.
