Defence in Turmoil

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Spurf

Spurf

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Jan 27, 2011
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SCOTLAND
Tottenham consider re-signing Steven Caulker 12 months after Cardiff move

/www.theguardian.com/football/2014/mar/27/tottenham-resigning-steven-caulker-cardiff-summer


I thought at the time it was a bad move to sell him. No contract for Kaboul? Is his injury cronic? Barca after Vertonghen?

Kaboul I would hope we can keep, even on a pay for play contract but work needed to sort a LB and another centre back perhaps.

Tottenham consider re-signing Steven Caulker a year after Cardiff move
• Spurs sold defender to Welsh side for £9m last summer
• Jan Vertonghen linked with Barcelona switch



David Hytner

The Guardian, Thursday 27 March 2014 16.36 GMT


Tottenham Hotspur are exploring the possibility of re-signing Steven Caulker in the summer – only 12 months after selling him to Cardiff City for £9m.

Spurs have doubts over the future of two of their existing centre-halves, with Jan Vertonghen having attracted the interest of Barcelona and Younès Kaboul set to become a free agent in June.

Caulker was moved on to general surprise last summer, given his status at the time as one of the club's most talented prospects, but Tottenham would take him back if Cardiff were to be relegated from the Premier League and he did not want to stay for a campaign in the Championship. Cardiff are 19th, three points behind 17th-placed Crystal Palace with seven matches to play. It is unclear whether Tottenham have a buy-back clause or the first option on the England centre-half but it is common practice for selling clubs to insist on such arrangements.

Caulker, 22, was born in London and he rose through the ranks at Spurs, breaking into the first-team last season, when he made 17 starts in the league. Tim Sherwood, then the club's youth technical director, pushed for him to make the step up and the manager would be happy to work with Caulker next season.

There remains uncertainty, though, over Sherwood's future and general doubts about the club's direction. The defender Danny Rose said two weeks ago that none of the players knew whether Sherwood would continue as the manager next season and so fulfil the final year on his contract. It is known that the chairman, Daniel Levy, likes the idea of appointing the Holland manager, Louis van Gaal, who will be replaced by Guus Hiddink after the World Cup finals.

There is the sense that Tottenham are in limbo, with Sherwood fighting to prove that he should remain in charge, while the move for Caulker would raise inevitable questions about strategy and joined-up thinking.

On the other hand, Chelsea's re-signing of Nemanja Matic in January for £21m, three years after they allowed him to leave as a makeweight worth £3m in the deal that brought David Luiz from Benfica, has proved that judgments and decisions on players can be reversed. There has been little criticism of Chelsea's buy-back of Matic, largely because of the midfielder's outstanding form.

Vertonghen is on Barcelona's summer shopping list, as is David Luiz, as the Catalans look for a ball-playing central defender. Vertonghen is determined to play in the Champions League and Tottenham, who face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, face a huge challenge to finish in the top four. Either way, few players can refuse Barcelona and the Belgian would be a cheaper option for them than David Luiz.

Kaboul will see his contract run out at the end of the season and after two spells at the club which have comprised five and a half years, he will assess his options.
Click to expand...
 
I'm pretty sure that Kaboul's got a year left on his contract at the end of this season, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him and Vertonghen leave.
Re-signing Caulker in the event that Cardiff are relegated is pretty much a no-brainer, in my opinion. Shouldn't have sold him in the first place.
Can't help but feel that we're in for a heavy turnover in the summer, again.

Edit: Chiriches has been linked with a move to Dortmund, too. Dawson's also been linked with QPR again, if they're promoted. That's all four out, then! <laugh>
 
PleaseNotPoll said:
I'm pretty sure that Kaboul's got a year left on his contract at the end of this season, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him and Vertonghen leave.
Re-signing Caulker in the event that Cardiff are relegated is pretty much a no-brainer, in my opinion. Shouldn't have sold him in the first place.
Can't help but feel that we're in for a heavy turnover in the summer, again.

Edit: Chiriches has been linked with a move to Dortmund, too. Dawson's also been linked with QPR again, if they're promoted. That's all four out, then! <laugh>
Click to expand...

Not that I'm saying it's gospel but Football Manager has his contract ending this season and they're pretty spot on. Pretty sure I read an article not too long ago that stated Kaboul's deal ends this season too, really hope the club sorts something out, injury prone or not he's far too good to lose on a free.

It wouldn't surprise me if Jan stays. Injuries and drop in form won't have helped him attract major interest, Barca have been recently linked with Koscielny and based on this season's form, Koscielny would likely be their main target.

I can actually see Vlad joining Dortmund. As impressive as he's been, I think he'll always be seen by many as the 3rd choice CB here and while that's likely to still guarantee plenty of games due to injuries and rotation, he could have a chance to play for a club that'll be in the Champions League, challenging for title honours and possibly even being first pick if Hummels and/ or Subotic are prized away.

Daws will stay unless the club basically says "**** off, we'll never play you", though even then his determination, loyalty and attitude would see him give one hell of a fight to stay.

I'd happily take Caulker back, still young with tonnes to learn.
 
It was ridiculous to sell Caulker in the first place. We should have hit the £9mil bid for Dawson instead. Our defence is a shambles, either incompetent, poorly managed, or just looking for the exit.
 
I remember the majority of us being disappointed about Caulker leaving, yet we where told Caulker asked to leave and wanted to return to wales (remember he was loan with swansea). Did he have unfinished business in the valleys? ....whats her name?!

I remember Nicky Barmby leaving us far too early because he wife wanted to move back north, pesky women!
 
There were two rumours about Caulker leaving and the official line, Boss.

Villas-Boas said that we didn't want him to go but weren't prepared to stand in his way, as he wanted regular starts in the build up to the World Cup, which is fair enough.
He seems to have played his way into contention for the England squad, so it's hard to argue with the logic of it, though another loan might've been a better idea.
If we've included any first option or buy-back clauses, then it essentially becomes a loan anyway, assuming we use them in the summer.

The other suggestions were that he knocked up a girl during his time at Swansea and she was attending university somewhere in Wales. Again, fair dues to him.
It's not like there's only one bloody university in the country though, so that can be got around.
The last one was that he accidentally insulted a relative of someone powerful at the club, comparing her to a stripper or hooker or something along those lines.
Ok, pretty stupid, but an apology is easily accepted and the youngster can learn from acting like a twat to the wrong person.
 
If the rumour about insulting female progeny (grand-daughter ?? ) of Joe Lewis was true, I would
think his Spurs cateer has ended. Otherwise the return of Caulker would have the Arry-lovers
reaching for the box of Kleenex ... :D
 
PleaseNotPoll said:
There were two rumours about Caulker leaving and the official line, Boss.

Villas-Boas said that we didn't want him to go but weren't prepared to stand in his way, as he wanted regular starts in the build up to the World Cup, which is fair enough.
He seems to have played his way into contention for the England squad, so it's hard to argue with the logic of it, though another loan might've been a better idea.
If we've included any first option or buy-back clauses, then it essentially becomes a loan anyway, assuming we use them in the summer.

The other suggestions were that he knocked up a girl during his time at Swansea and she was attending university somewhere in Wales. Again, fair dues to him.
It's not like there's only one bloody university in the country though, so that can be got around.
The last one was that he accidentally insulted a relative of someone powerful at the club, comparing her to a stripper or hooker or something along those lines.
Ok, pretty stupid, but an apology is easily accepted and the youngster can learn from acting like a t**t to the wrong person.
Click to expand...

You now need to get a degree to become a WAG!

Do you remember Caulker would make sarcastic remarks on Twitter, if we signed a new centre back or if he wasn't getting a chance, I liked the guy but he never looked that happy with us, like he wanted to be elsewhere.

We should just ask Defoe if the last rumour is true, he will know!
 
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