Bale, Coentrao, Pjanic, Halilovic, Lopez, U21's, Cole, Vertonghen, Huddlestone,

Gareth Bale and the London Evening Standard tell us the talks are ongoing whilst the Star say Real Madrid have snubbed him, that's a unique take on it, whilst others start speculating that they have no money to pay for him. The Star go on to tell us young striker Alvaro Morata was our top choice and Portuguese full-back Fabio Coentrao and Argentine winger Angel Di Maria were also options to include in the deal.

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Take a look at last night's article, it looked at the weakness of the Rose Fryers combination we may have to start with against Crystal Palace. Today;s game may give you an opportunity to look at some of the points raised (opens in a new window).
Spurs left sided weakness 
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The Star finish by saying the trio have insisted they are staying at the Bernabeu. Utter garbage. Madrid wanted to include players to reduce the cash they would have to pay and Levy doesn't want players included, cash if you want him boys. Coentrao has expressed a strong desire to get away from Madrid as he hasn't settled and the fans don't like him, he gets booed. There are rumours that he has agreed wages and could sign for us next week.

In other Gareth Bale news his 'Eleven of Hearts' celebration logo has been successfully trademarked. That could stand to make him up to £3million a year, according to Nigel Currie, director of sports marketing agency brand-rapport.

He said: "The possibilities are huge for Gareth Bale. Once he has that right he can cash in on it and become a more well-known player.

"A third of his overall income could be made from his image rights, potentially up to £3million a year."

Continuing the policy of linking us with virtually ever midfielder in the world the Mirror say we are after AS Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic again.

Whilst Sportske Novosti report Daniel Levy was spotted with Dinamo Zagreb executive director, Zdravko Mamić, where they were allegedly discussing the transfer of Croatian wonderkid Alen Halilovic.

Former target Lisandro Lopez has gone to Quatar, another to cross off the list, not that he was ever on it in this window but the press would like to think he was. Who we have tried for and who we have bought show we were and are after a better class of player.

Chelsea U21 2 Tottenham U21 4 - the boys were easily the better side taking a 4-1 lead after going behind and coasting in the game, Chelsea got a consolation right at the end.

Some website are linking us with Carlton Cole and wrongly suggest he played and scored 2 in the behind closed doors friendly against Enfield Town. The lad is using our facilities to stay fit for which ITK suggests he is digging his hand into his pocket.

Tottenham have denied Barcelona have made a bid for Belgian midfielder Jan Vertonghen. Belgian paper Het Laatste Nieuws has reported Barca have offered £23 million.

And finally Sunderland are said to have come back in for Cardiff target Tom Huddlestone. Willl Tom get over his phobia about signing his name on a bit of paper, we'll see.

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A look at the Mills/Bale London Evening Standard article

The London Evening Standard have run an article along the journalists desired Bale wants to leave lines, it began with.

Tottenham director: 'We want Bale to stay but if he’s desperate to go we can’t force him to play for us'

That is the headline but that is not what Sir Keith Mills said. It is in fact two different quotes cut together to make a false headline that meets the respected journalists pre-interview requirements.

Tottenham director Sir Keith Mills accepts that the club cannot stop Gareth Bale from making his dream move to Real Madrid, he continues, but that's not actually what Mills said either.

The 63-year-old has just been awarded a second knighthood — a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire — for helping to win London the 2012 Games and then organising them.

Initially, he repeats Tottenham’s standard response to Madrid’s pursuit of their prize asset: “We very much want Bale to stay.” So an instant dismissal of Tottenham's position as if it is inconsequential. They go on:

But, when pressed, he accepts: “If a player is desperate to leave, it’s very difficult to force him to stay. We’ve seen it in other clubs. Even if he has a contract, you can’t force somebody to play for you.”

Give someone credibility and that will give your headline and angle of the story more authority. Establish a quote about a specific player and then link it to a general quote about hypothetical situations. The quotes show that questions were put in a way to get a desired response. You'll note it was not "if Bale is desperate to leave" but "if a player is desperate to leave" a big and significant difference. Manipulative journalism you could say.

Mills agrees Tottenham are in a  Catch-22. If they’re not in the Champions League, Bale may not stay. But, to get into the Champions League, they need players like Bale.

“That’s precisely the issue,” he says. “So this summer, we are investing in a great squad and we hope that provides us with Champions League football next year and we start to win trophies, FA Cups. That’s what Tottenham need. We have made some good acquisitions.”

Again we are not given the exact question and Mills does not mention Bale, the "precisely the issue" could well just refer to a remark about a Catch 22 situation with no specifics into which the reporter can just add the name Bale.

They include £17million Brazilian Paulinho and Spaniard Roberto Soldado, £26m; signings which have, twice in the closed season, seen the club break their transfer record. “There are others in the pipeline,” he promises.

Demonstrating we have bought and are willing to invest more allows him to speculate a little leading into Mills speaking about the future and here the article can settle down and let's Sir Keith have his say. The desired angle has been achieved and written about so he can afford to let Mills paint his picture. Journalists are well aware that a story should be told in the headline and first paragraph so the reader doesn't have to read any more and many don't. It continues to highlight our need for strikers to lead into another quote.

This could mean another striker for Andre Villas-Boas. Last season, the combined tally of Jermaine Defoe (15) and Emmanuel Adebayor (eight) fell three short of Bale’s 26 goals.

“Strikers are very high on AVB’s list of priorities and Daniel [Levy, the chairman] is trying hard to make sure we have strength up front. It’s a really exciting time to be at the club.”

The article then makes a very valid point that many have considered but few expressed in print, the managerial merry go round at the top.

For Mills, this sense of excitement is heightened by managerial changes in three of the four clubs which finished above Spurs last season.

“It will take the three new managers at Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea — Jose Mourinho’s gone back so he counts as new — a bit of time to settle down. They’ve mostly inherited their squads, the previous managers did things slightly differently and that may just be unsettling enough. We all know that in sport things unwind pretty quickly.

“Tottenham are in a very good place. We’re optimistic this is going to be a good season and I fancy our chances to get one of the four Champions League slots. We’ve got a great manager now.”

Such support for a manager who is yet to win a trophy may seem extravagant but, for Mills, the way the Portuguese overcame the shadow cast by his Chelsea failure merits special praise.

The reporter neither agreed or disagrees but concedes space to Mills to make his points.

Mills said: “He’s done a great job. He is very professional, uses statistics and the technology in a very intelligent and considered way.”

At Stamford Bridge, AVB lost the confidence of the dressing room but, at Spurs, Mills says: “He has built a lot of confidence and trust with the players. His job is to get the best out of every player and he does it very well.”

Mills is keen to reassure fans that the arrival of Franco Baldini as director of football is no threat to AVB (I don't know of any fan who is concerned). This continental style of management has rarely worked in this country and was abandoned by Tottenham after a brief trial pairing manager Jacques Santini with director Frank Arnesen in 2004.

Mills, however, argues: “We have returned to that model because you need a gap between the manager who is running the first team and the chairman who signs the cheques. We need somebody in the middle who takes a more holistic view of the youth and development squads, talent spotting and keeping an eye out internationally. That is Baldini’s role and we are very pleased with him.”

Encouraging as all this is, Mills accepts that Spurs will not be able to match Manchester United and Arsenal unless the club have a new stadium.

Encouraging as all this is is rather a dismissive phrase to use, suggesting without a new stadium the plans are doomed to failure.

“It’s very difficult for us to keep pace with a United or an Arsenal who can bring in 60,000-plus when our capacity is 37,000. We don’t have the marketing and sponsorship of the Emirates or Old Trafford. We don’t generate their match-day income. A new stadium equals substantial additional revenues which will enable us to fund the quality of players we need to get to the Champions League. And being in that League will produce more money. That’s why the stadium is so important.”

Tottenham are planning a new ground at White Hart Lane but the search for revenue explains why they were prepared to migrate to east London.

Mills reveals the club’s controversial bid for the Olympic Stadium was because: “[Mayor] Boris Johnson and the Government were very keen for us to bid. We said, ‘Look, there’s no point in us bidding if you want a running track. We don’t think that’s a good enough experience for the fans. We’re happy to bid and provide a separate athletics’ legacy at Crystal Palace.’ But it was clear that the track was more important than we were led to believe. That’s history. We’re building our own stadium now.”

The new stadium can only go ahead when £350m funding is secured. To do that, the club need to sell the naming rights. “We don’t have that in place and that’s an integral part of the financing,” says Mills. “Once we get that, it’ll open up the rest of the funding.”

With Middle East organisations keen to attach their names to British sport, Levy has travelled to the region but all Mills is willing to says is: “There’s been some interest.”

From here the article just meanders to a close, the work being done right at the beginning.

Mills, whose business success includes the creation of Air Miles and Nectar cards, could prove crucial in securing  finance. It is interesting that he is happier trying to make Spurs great again than managing English football.

“I was approached to see whether I’d be interested in putting my name forward [to take over from David Bernstein as FA chairman],” he reveals. “I turned it down straightaway.”

He also turned down an approach to take over from Sir David Richards as Premier League chairman. “Both jobs have their complexities,” he says. “I have other things going on in my life.”

But he is willing to give advice to Bernstein’s successor, Greg Dyke. “Growing great talent is something that has to be top priority for the new FA chairman,” he says. “It would certainly be my priority. Young talent is what inspires the next generation.”

But that will not happen overnight: “In order to get young talent, you need to grow the coaching talent, too. Producing great coaches will result in great players and that is a long-term project. You’re really talking about a generation.”

A quality reporter producing as usual a good article even if we don't like the message he is trying to portray, no idea who he supports, if anyone.

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Vadillo, Coentrao, Bale, Bernard, Defoe, Huddlestone

A morning look around sees us linked with an 18 year old for €20m (£17.28 million). Quite where some clubs get these daft valuations from is beyond me.

The guys name is Alvero Vadillo and reports say Arsenal are after the Real Betis winger as well. He played 13 games last season through injury being taken off 10 times and brought on 3 times. In total however he only played 466 minutes which is the equivalent of 5 games and 16 minutes. In that time he didn't score a goal but recorded 2 assists to his name.

During the summer he was playing for the Spain U19 side in the European Championships scoring one goal in 4 games and providing 2 assists.

Primarily he plays on the left but he can play on the right wing as well. He is pacey and possess dribbling skills but as yet offers little goal scoring threat which makes his clubs €20m (£17.28 million) valuation of him rather far fetched.

Absolutely zero chance of a transfer happening at that price.

In other news some mindless moron phoned the training ground on Sunday to issue a death threat to Gareth Bale who wasn't there. The individual responsible must have a brain the size of a pea.

Plenty of talk of us still trying to sign 20 year-old winger Bernard (right) from Athletico Mineiro. Shahktar Donetsk are the only club to meet his valuation, our offer was around £15.7 million, some £6 million short of it. Bernard says he will meet the Russian club but is not near a move to them.

Besiktas continue their day dreams it seems now being linked with Jermain Defoe. Reports say they have failed to reach agreement with Adebayor when in fact they are banned from Europe and don't know if they will be allowed in until 30 August. Neither Adebayor nor Defoe will go there until they know if the club has European football that's for sure. WBA have recently been linked with Defoe as well but that also looks a non-starter.

Tom Huddlestone, the may who has trouble putting pen to paper, is now linked with Cardiff. There can't be many clubs who he hasn't spoken to and being on low wages seems reluctant to have the guts to prove himself at another club. He gives the impression of trundling through life not troubling anyone and doing an honest days work for a mediocre salary. Every company has them, he seems to be ours to me.

Fabio Coentrao is reported  as wanting to join Tottenham and not Chelsea having failed to settle to life at Real Madrid. The left-back would be an upgrade on our current options and be another step in the overhaul of our squad. Presumably Benoit Assou-Ekotto is not playing in the pre-season games so he doesn't get injured and ruin any potential move if Coentrao arrives.

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Madrid's Zidane winges - Let Bale talk to us

Zinidine Zidane has crawled out from under his rock once again. The man, who had the quality and class to headbutt an opponent in a World Cup Final in front of a worldwide TV audience, said in Los Angeles:

“It is not unusual when a player knows that Real Madrid are interested in them that they get excited. There is nothing more prestigious for a player to wear the white of Real Madrid.

“If he has expressed a desire to join Madrid then Tottenham should give him permission to speak with us. The chance to play for Real Madrid might only come around once in a player's lifetime - and it is understandable that Gareth doesn't want to miss out on it."

No mention of the fact Real Madrid have pursued relentlessly, a player at another club that they are not allowed to do. No mention of the blackmail ultimatum they gave Bale. Just a self righteous if we want a player he should be allowed to talk to us attitude.

What about the fact that according to your own virtual in house paper Marca, you have already agreed a £10m a year 5 year contract with a player you are not allowed to talk to. Isn't that an admission of tapping up?

“This is modern football. You have to pay to get the best players in Europe. Last season Gareth was on the same level as Ronaldo and Messi.

“The best players can have not so great games - but change a game with a moment of brilliance. Those are the sort of players that win you Champions League's and League titles.

“He is already one of the finest player in Europe and he has everything needed to become the best player in the world. It is a bit of a cliche - but it is true you become a better player playing with better players.”

Zidane, who in in America as a part of Real Madrid's pre-season tour, has been a part of a relentless pursuit of our under contract man. They are no longer a club to admire but a club who see themselves above the rules.

The President of the Spanish Football League (LFP), Javier Tebas, was asked if he felt their pursuit of Gareth Bale was immoral. He felt it would increase the TV revenue for their league so welcomed it. He said:

"It is immoral to pay for something when you cannot afford it. I think it's more immoral for a club to spend one million euros which they do not have.

"A 100million euros is a huge amount of money to spend on a player but if Madrid can afford that then it's not a question of morality, but of whether it's a risky move or not."

You can understand his view on Bale joining a league to raise it's profile, but that also raises the question of how much this deal is really worth.

"I don't know much about him, but if Bale is a good player, than I'd rather he was over here (in La Liga) than in the Premier League," he said.

"It's not a question of how much he costs, you have to look at how much money he will generate, and if the LFP has all the stars, it will allow us to maintain high television revenue. All the money the arrival of this type of player generates translates into more revenue."

If commercially to the league he is worth a fortune, he is also worth a fortune to Real Madrid, as they and Barcelona get 50% of their leagues TV revenue, which they refuse to give up.They get 19 times the amount of the lowest earners in the La Liga.

Bale is the biggest commercial name in world football at the moment. When you consider how much money he can bring in and how much we would lose in lost revenue, then you begin to realize that even £80 million doesn't do him justice.

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AVB, Chadli, Dawson, Bale, Soldado, Parker & Tottenham Foundation

AVB - Chadli and transfers.

"We will continue to do our market and we have not stopped yet, for sure.

"Chadli’s a player we’ve been following for quite some time and we managed to strike a deal in the last few days.

"He’s a player who is extremely versatile and can play in several positions up front.


"We look forward to having him on board with us."

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Reports in Spain say Franco Baldini was meeting with Alberto Toldra, Roberto Soldado's agent, today.

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Michael Dawson has been speaking to Sky Sports about Gareth Bale.

"All you can do is concentrate individually as a team. Gaz is a Tottenham player and the manager has come out and said he's staying, and that's great news.

"To do what Gaz did last year was sensational, with some of the goals he scored and the points he won for us. He helped us to get to 72 points and I'm sure he'll be doing that again next year.

"Gaz is a great lad, he keeps his head down and the way he has been playing, he is going to have speculation. His performances in recent years have been brilliant and that's what happens.

"He'll concentrate and do what he does for Tottenham, and hopefully keep scoring goals."

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West Ham co-owner David Sullivan admits the club would love to bring Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker back to the club.

Sullivan said on Twitter he "would love to have Scott Parker back if there is room on the wage bill".

"We need goalscorers not defenders".

"We are happy with the rest of the team all we need now is pace and goals."

The players have got to be quick enough to catch up with the balls they hoof up field to Andy Carroll in traditional Sam Allardyce style.

The new West Ham style - hoof it and see. Bobby Moore would be proud. Whatever happened to the West Ham academy.

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The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and the National Literacy Trust’s Premier League Reading Stars programme joined forces to take more than 180 lucky school children on a stadium tour of White Hart Lane as part of a campaign to encourage children to read.

The pupils, aged between nine and 13, had two storytelling sessions with two children’s authors, Bali Rai and Dan Freedman, who have both written children’s series on football.

Freedman said: "Premier League Reading brings football and reading together and as the author of the Jamie Johnson series it's a real privilege to be involved in today’s event at Tottenham Hotspur.

"I grew up in East Finchley and went to watch my first ever game of football with my dad at White Hart Lane when I was three years old.

"To come back and chat with local school kids about football stories will be just about perfect."

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Gareth Bale - it's not so cut and dried this time

Gareth Bale's attempt to sweep all before him continues with news that he has been named in the 10-man shortlist for UEFA's 2012/13 Best Player in Europe award.

Last season on the domestic front, the Spurs wing man come striker won everything, the Professional Footballers' Association Footballer of the Year, Professional Footballers' Association Young Footballer of the Year, Football Writers Association Player of the Year, Barclays Player of the Year and of course our own Player of the Year award.

Incidentally it is the 9th time a Spurs player has won the FWA Player of the year, catching up with Man U whose players have also won it 9 times and now only behind Liverpool players on 11.

The UEFA shortlist is dominated by successful Bayern Munich players following their treble-winning season, with Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger all included.

The final 10 is completed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund) and 2011 winner Lionel Messi (Barcelona).

The initial shortlist of 10 gets reduced to just 3 later this month and then journalists will choose the winner.

We'll know the result when it is announced on August 29th at the Champions League draw.

It does seem a bit daft dishing out an award for the previous season, when a new season has already started.

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