Transfer Rumours transfer thread fact and fiction

Tottenham did not sign anyone during the last transfer window. They haven't signed anyone during this one either - and it doesn't look like they will.

"A few days ago I was optimistic," said Mauricio Pochettino this lunchtime. "Today I am not very optimistic.

"You know how we work. Anything can happen in the last minute. Players have the opportunity to leave the club."

 

Agreed. Especially as his name isn’t “N’Soler”. Otherwise I’d be worried.

 

He seems as confused as me

 

Short version: Lamela with pace

Long version: a couple of seasons ago Valencia were using him in a Dembele-like role in a three-man midfield, with Enzo Perez in the defensive role and Dani Parejo in the playmaking role. Since last season Valencia have been playing 442 so moved Soler onto the wing as he has the pace and control to succeed there and he's remained in that role ever since, because not only has he been a very useful player with his pace and passing, but he's also willing to get stuck in when the opponents have the ball. So he does seem to fit the profile for one of Poch's projects based on his attributes and his age, although the £30m fee quoted sounds more than a little fanciful considering Valencia are now a little more stable than when they were hiring Sky Sports pundits as head coach

 

"Anything can happen in the next half hour", said Commander Shore in Stingray. Admittedly he was probably not talking about the transfer window.

 

Lower League Rando Watch
With him making his league debut in tonight's game against Reading, having made his professional debut a few weeks ago in the FA Cup, we are being linked with Bolton left back Luca Connell - although he's also being linked with Brighton, Southampton and Burnley

Meanwhile, various outlets are floating the idea of us considering buy-and-loan-back deals for the previously mentioned Max Aarons and Jack Clarke

 

So, less than 48 hours until the close of the window. Anyone optimistic of a deal or two?
IMO we won’t sign anyone, as I don’t feel enough momentum/news has come out about any player in particular up until now. Yes, we’ve been linked to nearly every player in world football once again, but it doesnt feel like there’s any weight behind any particular deal.
Even Our interest in Lucas last year had some weight behind it way before the window closed, but this year it doesn’t feel like there’s anyone. I said the same thing at the end of the summer window and it feels the same again now.
Perhaps Levy will try something tomorrow, but I don’t see that ending well, as it doesn’t give clubs long enough to find replacements.
The usual media sources tend to get wind of something happening pretty quickly as nothing is kept a secret these days, so I think we’ll need to hear something concrete today to be hopeful.
One thing is for sure, there will be backlash on social media from many fans if we fail to make another signing for the second window in a row.

 

Can't see us signing anyone. Left it far too late and January is the worst time to buy anyone of quality at the right price.

A part of me hopes we've unearthed a gem or two in the lower leagues who we'll buy and loan back á la Alli, but I think my hopes will be dashed.

 

I think this sums up our situation...



P.S. Yes I was bored, so decided to do a quick sketchy Photoshop mockup

 

Unfair representation of the Poool and Man Utd.
Both have more revenue available to them than Spurs, but they
are not Sugga Daddy FCs.

 

Not sure it says they are? The point surely is that have more money than us and it's hard to compete.

Also, do we know if their owners plough large sums in that are not to do with company performance. The Glazers for example are very cagey about debt - whether what they carry is sustainable I (genuinely) don't know.

 

The Poool are not a "bottomless pit bank" .

Even Man Utd, although the empire, are still a plc and
are beholden to shareholders and sponsor T+Cs (are
they in the CL etc) .

 

It doesn’t look like we’ll sign anyone, which again, will be bitterly disappointing.

It’s similar to the summer for me in that we’re just a couple players away from really giving it a good go to push on. I really do fear for this second half of the season, so many have been battered with injuries due to being ran into the ground.

I said it the other day but the window of opportunity is getting smaller and smaller for Spurs to take that “next step”. It seems we’re looking too much at the future as being potentially amazing rather than focusing on the present which is what we’ll need to help make an amazing future.

 

DH you ASSUME the injuries are down to fatigue, you don't know that. Your window of opportunity is again an ASSUMPTION, based on debatable points.
What we need to make an amazing future in football terms is a top manager a supportive chairman and a raised income stream. All of those things are in place. Once we are in the new stadium the window opens and widens. Pochettino has already said some very positive things about staying to the end and wanting to be on a level with Real Madrid. Note, not the best in England but the best in Europe that is how high the ambition is. To think that a couple of hurried transfers in the January window is essential to this process is like suggesting that to complete the stadium you need to rush to IKEA because they have some £70 chairs for £50 only to find when you get there, they have put the price up to £120 because of demand.
Of course things can go wrong (they already have with all the injuries) but in business, and this is what we are talking here, not football, you have to have direction and you have to always pay attention to income and best use of resources. I think the issue with fans, and I am not directing this at you DH because I don't know in your case, the issue is knowing something about football because you play/watch but knowing nothing of how to run a business with specific goals. Transfers are first and foremost business decisions. Pochettino has made clear that he is going to be very careful with the investments of Spurs money and is obviously very close with Levy who we all know looks after Spurs money with great skill. Now we have a football manager who looks after Spurs football talent in a similar way. That in my opinion is fantastic news for Spurs and long may they reign.

 

While the FSG are "only" worth $2.5bn (and if there's one sentence that sums up the Premier League's avarice, that is it) they have a lot of cash sloshing around through their various ventures, notably the Boston Red Sox and their sports management company

 

So you don’t think that the number of injuries to key players - and I highlight key there - are down to being overworked and overused and instead are just a coincidence? Ok, that’s your prerogative to think so but I do wonder why the likes of Nkoudou, Llorente, Walker-Peters etc haven’t had injuries yet Kane, Sissoko, Alli etc have.

What we need to make a great future is a top manager, a top chairman and a top squad, we have two of those factors, we don’t have the latter. We have a great first XI and then a couple of good players but the squad in general is poor.

As for the IKEA comparison, what if you needed to buy something to sit on, but as you couldn’t afford the luxurious comfy chair, does that mean you shouldn’t go for a chair at all and thus have nothing to sit on, or should you look at trying to still get something so that you don’t have to sit on the floor? That’s my way of thinking with regards to transfers, I know we can’t go and buy say the best CM available on the market but does that then mean we shouldn’t buy a CM at all? No.

And I don’t know where you’re getting this idea of rush signings from, many have been wanting signings since the summer and since the start of this window. The idea of them being rush is far from the truth. I don’t just want a signing because they’re pretty and shiny, I want a signing because as of right now, Tottenham are in great danger of regressing from a footballing standpoint.

 

To the surprise of no-one, the £30m fee quoted for Soler's already been rubbished...

 

Rush signings because essentially any signing in the January window is by definition a rush maybe even rash signing, because it is well known to be the worst time to make deals.

The squad comes by having the the management and funding in place and has to be achieved as and when the funds and the players are available. Said so many times the stronger we get the harder it is to find the type and quality of player we need because they are more and more expensive. The problem that you seem to have is understanding the need for management in how you get to where you want to be. Where we all as Spurs fans want to be. We do need players I think we all agree with that but if Pochettino thinks that what we have been offered is not good enough then I will go with his judgement because he has shown us his skills in management as far as I am concerned and deserves our confidence and respect.

 

I didn't answer your injury point. Dele has not played all season anyway due to injury. Kane was kicked that's not fatigue. Sissoko yes it's reasonable to assume he may have over stretched himself but that is exactly what we needed him to do and we all thought Poch worked a miracle to get him there. Now in hindsight you can have the argument was it worth it, but that's hindsight. Yes of course it would be better if we had two Kanes and a couple of Eriksen's a Dembele or two but even Real Madrid and Man United don't get everything they want.

I wonder if this is an age thing. The norm with young people now is to stick everything on a credit card and worry about how to pay for it later. Older generations would tend to wait until they have saved for what they wanted only taking credit for cars and houses.

You can't run a business on just bunging it on the card, or perhaps you can but it won't last long.