A loan to Italy would be good as I think the Italian style (slow) would suit him. Then hopefully the big boys in Italy would want him and Spurs could sell him in the summer
It's not about 'just a body' though. That type of view is as if there aren't many who could improve us and that we shouldn't just settle, when there's actually 10s or even 100s of players who'd improve Spurs from an XI or squad perspective, both Newcastle and Villa have signed players who'd improve us in some capacity and most would consider those players as scraping the barrel, let alone the players many would love here like Kessie/ de Vrij etc. There's also no set time to ensure we make the right signing, we waited a year for Ndombele and he's proven a disaster. Signing a player at any time carries the risk they may flop but they could also be a huge success, though one thing's for sure, waiting around doing nothing as we're currently doing (and have done in the past) guarantees we don't improve one iota. We're seemingly pissing about for no valid reason and it's doing so to the detriment of the team's future chances of success.
I’m frustrated too and yes there’s definitely players out there who would improve us. However if Conte asks for more time to evaluate the players and decide where the priority positions for recruitment are then I don’t see what the club can do except wait, or just go and buy players anyway, and we know that won’t fly with the fans or with Conte.
I think that we will probably get the Traore deal over the line but that anything beyond that will be a real problem because of the lack of suitable and available talent in January and the club currently not being able/ready to spend what's necessary to attract it. Last summer, we got Romero (and Gollini) on loan, so we're already playing catch up in needing to pay for players already brought in, so there's a hole in whatever funding one might expect should exist already. We've players to sell but their form and consequently, their possible values, when measured against their current wages with us, are going to be a problem. If we can offload them, it's likely to be on loan initially (if they can be shifted at all). Potential suitors won't want to get stuck in the situation that we find ourselves in with Ndombele, Lo Celso, Dele, etc. So, whilst we have players to sell, what they'll bring in financially is a real doubt and .may well not be permanently resolved in January and possibly not in the summer, either. So, it is to be hoped that the source of the funding for the long overdue rebuild extends beyond 'profit on income + player sales'. If that is it, Conte will need to find that magic wand. Even trading in the Bosman market, there is little chance that we're going to build a successful team, mostly out of free transfers. Paratici tried that at Juve with Rabiot, Ramsey and Can. It didn't produce the hoped for results and we're not the draw that Juve are for such options, even with Conte as manager. Others will throw around wages, signing on fees and sporting success, that we will be unlikely to be able to match, for the best of the free transfers. Before next season, we're going to need to buy a few really good players, who are first team ready and who will cost real money in transfer fees and wages. The critical issue is whether the recent Lewis/Levy meeting addressed the issue of making a realistic amount available come the summer, as it should have done. It could be that the club accepts the best offer on the table for the stadium sponsorship, or the club takes on more loans (not ideal), or the owners or an outside investor recapitalises the business...but something needs to happen before the lack of ambition and hope have a significant and possibly long term effect on the club, just as we should be exploiting our growth over the last 20 years. There have been suggestions over the last couple of years and again recently, that the Lewis family might be looking to dilute the extent of their shareholding and could bring in some additional outside investment. City did it a few years back, as have Palace and West Ham. Our fans have been very patient with Levy's austerity management over 2 decades. It's time for ENIC to apply themselves to our sporting aspirations and go into next season with a coach and team that offer some real hope. If we don't, tough times lie ahead.
Conte completed his “100%” evaluation of the squad by the end of December, so by January 1st he knew who he wanted and who he didn’t. I doubt he expected to wait til the 10th to get his ideas across to Levy and Paratici. Levy spent the first few days or so in the Bahamas asking Lewis for funds, when he could’ve done that in December or even November and planned ahead (remember the talk on here of being proactive?). It’s just lazy thinking from the club as per and it’s almost inevitable that come the close of the window on the 31st we’ll all be disappointed… Conte included.
I was expecting a very busy window across the board, whilst hoping (rather than expecting) that we would be busy, I was also expecting business at just about every club below Chelsea, but particularly at the clubs around us Spammers, Goons and United. So far Everton have signed 2, Newcastle 1 (with 1 pending), Villa have got Coutinho and Watford have signed some players that I know nothing about. I would love us to be quick off of the mark but that's just not the way this window works, even the sky journalists are struggling to make it sound like anything much is going on, I believe that most clubs are trying to play their cards close to their chest and I hope that we are one of those. But its shaping up to be very similar to Januarys in the past with little movement until the last week of the month.
Remember the Covid outbreak at the club? That's why it didn't get done in December, since that reduced the window available to fly to the Bahamas, with the self-isolating at either end of the trip also something to factor in Now, why Joe Lewis can't be arsed to set up a Zoom account, that's certainly something that needs asking very bloody loudly considering the past two years has made hopping on a flight to the Bahamas something that can't be taken for granted...
I doubt he waited either, he said he’s in daily contact with Paratici anyway and we heard the rumours (most concretely about Traore) start up before the meeting happened. So clearly some discussions were had. I have no idea why Levy went to the Bahamas when he did. Covid might have had something to do with it but I don’t know the ins and outs of the isolation rules. And it’s also worth noting that Paratici was sick for a while so that might have held some things up. But why it couldn’t be done virtually I don’t know, that does seem to be an inexplicable sticking point.
The covid outbreak at the club from the beginning to the middle of December? Yeah I remember it. Nothing to do with a meeting between three people that didn’t have it though.
Certainly reason to be cautious of hopping on a plane to the Bahamas, since potentially giving the club owner a dose isn't the best idea from a business standpoint
So-called Super Agent Mino Raiola has been hospitalised in Milan and has undergone surgery. Probably doesn't affect us directly, but it could have a knock-on effect on transfers at the top.
Levy: All I can promise you is blood, little sweat and tears. Conte on the window: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning
Jermaine Defoe's been released by Rangers Any takers? At the very least, he could be an asset mentoring Dane Scarlett for a few months
He was coaching at Rangers for a little bit before leaving too so I think he’s perhaps more likely to be involved in that capacity than as a player. If he were to come back.
Manchester United are in interested in Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey. Brighton want £40m for the 21-year-old, who has played for England U21s. Get him in send about 6 of our lot and 30 mill the other way
Tottenham are hoping to sign Spain winger Adama Traore on a loan deal with an obligation to buy from Wolves, who are likely to prefer a straight £20m deal for the 25-year-old. (Telegraph - subscription required) Here we go Levy’s hands all over this to the point of missing out and pissing off the manager 18 days of Conte’s reign remaining
Levy's still trying to negotiate with Aston Villa for Jack Grealish, despite Villa telling him that he's already been sold to Man City
