Whether or not the story is really true in the gutter press, The Fail claims Vertonghen is growing frustrated that the deal to move to Spurs is dragging on and he could look to go to Woolwich... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ys-hell-join-Arsenal-Spurs-falls-through.html Sounds like classic Daniel Levy stuff to me. Trying to squeeze every last bit out of the transfer negotiations to get the best deal possible when clearly, the vultures are circling. Vertonghen is politely but firmly hinting that Levy needs to get this done. He wants it done. He wants to come to Spurs but patience is wearing thin. There's no smoke without fire and if we are to try to maintain a push for the top four next season, Levy has to realise that we don't have the advantage of Champions League football as deal maker. We also have Euro 2012 just around the corner when transfer figures could easily get inflated, dealing with players will then go on hold for many weeks and he could end up getting cold feet come late summer. Too much hinges on getting our squad strengthened. Why can't he see this and just broker the deal... now!? Sometimes our Chairman needs to understand that striking first is a must to get the squad all ready and settled well in time before pre-season starts to give us the best chance of having a great opening few games of the new season. Frankly, I get sick and tired of reading about these protracted transfer dealings. If I had my way, we would sign all the players we want before a ball is even kicked in Poland and Ukraine next week so that we don't end up panic buying and selling come last August. Take Man Utd as a prime example of this and it's done them no harm over the years. The lessons must be learned from seasons gone by. You can't just bring a player in 3 or 4 games into the season and expect the impact that a player would have if given a full pre-season tour, plenty of time to settle and get to work with the coaching staff and colleagues. So in my view, Levy needs a rocket where the sun doesn't shine. If he blows this deal, he'll really go down in my estimations.
I doubt the goons will pay 12 million for a player that has one year left on his contract either yet so it may well take another club to make an official bid to push this deal forward at a price which is fair. However considering the money we have wasted in recent years on utter dross then sometimes paying over the odds for real quality is needed.
I don't think any of us is going to be too pleased if a player who we have at the top of our wanted list, and who actually wants to play for us is allowed to go to our bitterest rivals, for the sake of relative peanuts, and Levy's pride.
Arsenal have a rebuilding project on their hands too so don't be too sure. I also happen to feel that the captain of Ajax is arguably not one for the "dross" category. Levy's just being tight as usual and is trying to leverage too much, when timing is more important.
From Goal. Com again. Let's hope they've got his one right!! THE SWEEPER TIDYING UP ALL THE LOOSE STORIES IN FOOTBALL THIS WEEK TOTTENHAM FINALLY SET TO LAND VERTONGHEN Tottenham are hopeful of tying up a £9.6 million move for Jan Vertonghen next week as they edge closer to an agreement with Ajax. The Sweeper has learned that the Dutch giants have now indicated they are ready to accept Spurs’ offer for their captain, with the two clubs now mainly discussing the structure of the proposed payments. Vertonghen will be in London next week for Belgium’s game against England on June 2, and Spurs hope to be able to conduct a medical for the defender before Saturday’s match. - Greg Stobart| Northern Correspondent
Let's be honest, £12m is not a huge amount of cash compared to some of the signings we've made in the past. The extra £2m that Levy doesn't want to pay, really isn't too much at all when you consider the benefit we'll gain if this guy joins. If our defence had been better last season we'd definitely have been CL, so by strengthening it, we've got a much better chance of CL which is a damn pinata full of cash
You misunderstood what I said, as I mentioned "dross" not in regards to this player but in regards to the players we have bought previously so as in this case it would be foolish to miss out on a quality player just because we wanted to get best value for money.
Using the Bentley signing as a constant excuse not to pay the market value for a bloody good player just seems to be a constant debate for us. Move on from it. Bentley was a slightly expensive mistake but in his defence, he had a good part to play in the latter half of the season when we first got top 4 and deputised for an injured Lennon. You win some, you lose some but one poor signing shouldn't prevent progress. If anything, Dos Santos was worse business for us. Yet again, we can't seem to shift this bloke even when a deal seems to be on the table. Maybe we should give him false info on how good the nightclubs are back in Spain. Anyhow, we made a ton on the sale of Berba a few years back and he's hardly featured this season. You don't hear Man U fans complaining of a huge potential loss on him if he goes this year and with their supposed debt, you'd think they'd be concerned.
On the other hand the 2m saved goes to his wages, as frustrating as it looks, Levy is having to open the coffers all over the place this summer, Bale and Ade deals ongoing, so he has to do this, we are a club with a budget, so I think its fair to cut him a little.
Another place he's opening the coffers this summer (according to Metro the other day) is by offering a 12-month internship in the press office - without pay.
Many of us said that we are going to blow it.....i still go along with that...Levy will get a letter from me if he blows this due to bartering..the guy is worse than my mother for it! trying to save the odd mill and people saying it will contribute to his wages..well why doesnt he get rid of the deadwood for bargain basement prices? like that he gets a fee and stop wages being paid out...all in all this would totally pay the wages of Vertognen. Levy trying to be too clever again!
Don't be silly Dona, in this instance Levy is right, this isn't bartering for the sake of it, the 12/13m Ajax want for that kind of player with a year left is taking the piss abit. The suggestion of just throwing a couple of million away here and there, willy nilly, isn't a very good idea is it.
For me, there's a difference between bartering, and cutting your nose off to spite your face. Sure, try and bargain, but if it becomes clear that they're not going o move, you're left with two choices. Pay up, or walk away. For the relatively small difference being asked in this case, I would prefer that we pay up, rather than let another top target slip through our fingers. If they really won't move, it may be because they know that somebody else will pay the price.
As I've said elsewhere - £12m would make him the fifth most expensive CB in the history of the English game. And he has one year left on his contract. Is he really worth that? I've never seen him play but all those who say he's absolute quality and absolutely worth the money - I just wonder how much they really know about him. Now it might be that this is a case where we should pay (way) over the odds. But it is very, very pricey. Levy is absolutely right to try to push the price down. The very best CB in Prem history (imagine who you will) who is proven to be able to play in this country - HE might be worth £12m with a year left on his contract. Maybe. But even then it's hardly certain is it? Edit: The above should read "sixth most expensive CB in the English game" (Other five being Ferdinand, Carvalho, Luiz, Lescott and Toure as far as I can see).
I've never see him play either. However, you don't become captain of Ajax and the Eridivisie player of the year by being crap. We have identified him as our top target, and more importantly, he wants to come to us. That being the case, I would expect Levy to do the deal rather than walk away for the sake a relatively small amount in the grand scheme of things.
Recent winners of the Eridivisie player of the year: 2003 Dirk Kuijt FC Utrecht Netherlands 2004 Maxwell Ajax Amsterdam Brazil 2005 Mark van Bommel PSV Eindhoven Netherlands 2006 Dirk Kuijt Feyenoord Rotterdam Netherlands 2007 Afonso Alves SC Heerenveen Brazil 2008 John Heitinga Ajax Amsterdam Netherlands 2009 Mounir El Hamdaoui AZ Alkmaar Morocco 2010 Luis Suarez Ajax Amsterdam Uruguay Now I'm not saying that this is damning evidence. It's just....well - remember Mounir El Hamdaoui who never got a game for Spurs? Remember club record signing Alfonso Alves who scored 4 goals as Boro were relegated? Many here have said that they are happy Spurs didn't pay £20m for Suarez. Dirk Kuyt, for all his excellent attributes won it TWICE. He wasn't just a solid performer he was the best player in the country. Twice. Jonny Heitinga is one of Everton's best defenders. Hardly awe-inspiring is it? I'm not saying that he is crap. He almost certainly isn't. But to say he's definitely worth entering into the halls of the most expensive CBs in English history for is another matter. Remember how good Ramon Vega looked on paper? Ricardo Rocha? Gilberto? I just don't see where all this "Come on Levy - spend the huge amount of money - get the deal done for this guy" stuff is coming from. Sorry but I just don't get it. Though I'll be as delighted as anyone if he signs for us AND looks the part on the pitch come August.
