Chadli - have Spurs bid £4.32 million or £6.05 million?

It seems the various papers, this time abroad, still can't get their stories straight over Nacer Chadli and the Tottenham pursuit.

Dutch media this time and Voetbal International say we have offered £4.32 million (€5 million) but that FC Twente Enschede want £6.05 million (€7 million).

Belgian media in the shape of Sport Wereld say the move is a 'dream move' for Chadli and that the initial bid from Spurs was £6.05 million (€7 million) which was rejected. They claim the Eredivisie side want £8.22 million (€9.5 million).

They speculate that agreement is expected to be reached soon between the clubs and go on to say that Chadli was away with his club at a training camp in Germany but has now returned and could sit down with his agent, Daniel Evrard, before the weekend is over.

It was only Wednesday when Evrard said "It has been known for a while that Tottenham are interested in Nacer" and that his client "would welcome this move."

Sport Wereld went on to tell their readers that Spurs have offered a 5 year contract. His existing FC Twente contract runs out next year so it's sell now for the Dutch club or get no fee in a years time.

Chadli can play on either wing, which fits in with the versatility Andre Villas-Boas seems to require in players and he is the right age for our transfer policy, buy cheap young players who will rise in value.

As well as the flanks he can play through the middle or as an attacking midfielder, however his main position is on the left which will give AVB cover when he wants to move Gareth Bale around.

Chadli is no stranger to Spurs fans having scored against us at White Hart Lane in the Champions League group stages 3 year ago.

Clearly a move is being discussed, it's just the fee we are unclear about. With Swansea and Aston Villa said to be interested, hopefully this one will all be sorted soon and he can join us on the pre-season trip to Hong Kong.

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Let the Development squad develop

If you spend some time reading any Spurs forums you'll find all sorts of views and supporters suggesting giving player X or player Y a chance and others suggesting a youth player or two from the Development squad, such as Alex Pritchard.

Now i'll focus on Pritchard just to use him as an example but Shaqiile Coulthirst, our goal scoring 18 year-old centre-forward, is a name frequently advanced as the answer to our striking woes. Possibly such suggestions come from people who have never seen a development game and are merely going on reputations. Alex Pritchard is a talented youngster, let's make no mistake about that.

Fortunately we have just had an Under 20 World Cup televised, with both Harry Kane and Alex Pritchard in the England squad. Harry Kane incidentally played 90 minutes in all three games, usually up front on his own and worked tirelessly in the heat. He laid on goals but unfortunately was not clinical enough in front of goal, something which constantly divides Spurs fans view of him.

Anyway back to Pritchard who made substitute appearances for England in the tournament. He had an impact on the games when he came on. He looked lively, tricky, skillful, he looked to have an eye for a pass, he looked very promising indeed. He understandably looked small, as if he had more growing to do, which obviously he has, and certainly not ready for playing against more physical men in the Premier League.

Some supporters often don't seem to see, or understand, the difference in standard and physique between development players and Premier League players.

Three of our youngsters have gone on loan to Swindon Town in League One, joining other former development players of ours. There will be a contingent of 6 there for the 2013-14 season. On loan are wide midfielder Alex Pritchard, central midfielder Massimo Luongo and centre-back Grant Hall. Former players who have signed for the Wiltshire club are defender Jack Barthram and fellow defender Nathan Byrne, who we released at the end of last season, joining another defender Troy Archibald-Henville already there.

The five new players are staying in a hotel at the moment while taking part in pre-season training and are all looking to find somewhere to live before the season starts.

Interviewed by the local paper Luongo had some revealing words to say to the local press, revealing to many Tottenham fans that is.

“I have been at Spurs for three years, but Nath, Pritch and Jack have been there even longer since they were youngsters,” he said.

“We’re all pretty close down there and shared the same changing room, and coming down here it’s like walking into a Spurs changing room which makes things a lot easier.

“We all want to play and we all want first-team experience because none of us are anywhere near making it as a footballer, so this is the biggest challenge we have to prove ourselves.

“This platform is the best experience we can have and it’s great we can all be here.

“We are in the hotel for now, but I am looking for a place around here and I want to get settled as soon as I can. All the boys are going to find a place, because it’s so much easier to play when you are settled.”

Let me pluck out the relevant passage for us Spurs fans, 'none of us are anywhere near making it as a footballer'.

A development player telling you himself that development players are not ready for the Premier League. 

Players in the Development squad are just that developing, loan spell, new experiences, first team football in the lower leagues is all a part of their development, both as players and people. Banging in goals against other youth players does not make a player ready for the Premier League, that will come in time, can we not just let them develop.

Throwing a player in to early can ruin him or stall his development, John Bostock it could be argued was a victim of this, becoming our youngest ever player when he made in debut in the UEFA Cup. 

Let's have a bit of common sense and not suggest this season that we throw another one into the lions den.

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Two Spurs players close in on exits

Two players closing in on their exits from the club, one in a permanent move and one that quite frankly has little affect on us, on loan.

Tom Huddlestone with several options it seems is set to join Sunderland if the reports are to be believed. A player can at any stage simply change his mind of course but Sunderland have made an offer which has been accepted by Spurs.

No figure has been revealed but Daniel Levy is thought to want £5 million (€5.8 million) and certain section of the media, like the Daily Star, have assumed this to be the figure agreed.

Sunderland however have a history of low bids for our players so it would not surprise at all if in fact a lower figure had been agreed to aid the sale of the player.

Spurs need to sell not only to reduce the wage bill but also to raise funds to assist in the purchase of new players, having already splashed out £17.24 million (€20 million) on Paulinho.

Lee Cattermole spends so much time missing through suspension for Sunderland that Huddlestone will be an important addition for them. He has the passing ability many would love to possess and playing regularly will help his fitness levels, something that became a problem after his lengthy injury absence.

Couple his passing with a tackle success rate of 67% he will certainly add something to the Sunderland squad.

He won't have time to feel lonely though as the clubs meet in the pre-season Barclays Asia Trophy, previously won by Tottenham in 2009, taking place in Hong Kong.

The second player playing his football elsewhere next season is 26 year-old South African centre-back Bongani Khumalo, who has never seemed to figure in the plans at White Hart Lane.

He spent last season on loan at PAOK in Greece and looks to be heading on another loan deal, this time to Championship side Ipswich Town.

He has been training with the Tractor Boys and played in their 2-1 pre-season friendly win over Crawley Town.

Mick McCarthy said, "I was pleased with Bongani. He's very quick and athletic. I thought he did okay. I'm pleased with him.

"We're not looking to buy or sign him, we're looking at a possible loan deal."

Since signing from Sunsport in 2011 the former South African captain has had loan spells at Preston and Reading before his spell in Greece.

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Does signing Daniel Opare make sense?

There are claims we are looking at Daniel Opare, a 22 year-old  full-back from Standard Liege. He is primarily a right-back but can play on the left. The fact that he is right footed doesn't make him an ideal candidate to overlap from left-back, the defensive position we are looking to fill.

The Gunners were linked with the Ghanaian international in February last year and now it is believed new Technical Director Franco Baldini has recommended him to Andre Villas-Boas. Opare may only cost about £1.3 million (€1.5 million) but with Walker cemented at right-back and Adam Smith coming through it would seem a strange signing.

There are doubts about Zeki Fryers and Danny Rose, but surely we would be looking for a specialist left-back and preferably left-footed. However quotes from the player would suggest we are truely interested.

He said: "I am flattered by the interest of Spurs. They are a very good team in England I will jump at the chance to join them if they reach an agreement with my current club.

"I know there is a long way to go yet and also the level in England is a lot higher than in Belgium, but I think I can play there at a good level.

"If I get the chance to play for a team like Tottenham I will take it."

Opare came through the Real Madrid academy and played for the Spanish sides reserve team before moving to Standard three years ago. Is the Premier League his next stop.

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Spurs BT Sport channel TV fixtures

New boys in the TV football market BT, who are promoted by Gareth Bale, have also announced their first set of fixtures for the upcoming season.

The first Tottenham Hotspur game on the BT Sport channel is the lunch time fixture (12.45) against Chelsea on Saturday September 28th at White Hart Lane.

Our only other game on BT at the moment is against Manchester United in another lunch time fixture (12.45) at White Hart Lane on Saturday November 30th.

Our complete TV fixtures so far announced, SKY unless stated:
Sun Aug 18: Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur (1:30pm)
Sun Sept 1: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Sat Sept 28: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (BT Sport 12.45pm)
Sun Oct 20: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Sun Nov 3: Everton v Tottenham Hotspur (1.30pm)
Sun Nov 10: Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United (12pm)
Sat Nov 23: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm)
Sat Nov 30: Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United (BT Sport 12.45pm)

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Spurs V Palace on Sky + Arsenal, Villa, Everton, Newcastle, M City

Sky have conformed their first set of live fixtures for the new season and it sees Spurs on the box 6 times.

Our opening away game against Premier League new boys Crystal Palace, is to be shown live on Sunday 18th August at 1.30pm. The fixture should provide plenty of interest as neutrals tune in to see how Palace might fare this season.

Sunday September 1st the London derby game against arch rivals Arsenal, this time away at the Emirates, will be shown at 4pm. A regular on TV it clearly draws in the viewers.

In October the Aston Villa game on Sunday 20th will be shown, again it's 4pm and again it's an away game. Sky will be hoping Benteke moves to Spurs to give added interest to the game and the panel something extra to chat about.

November is the month it really kicks into gear for Tottenham fans though with 3 fixtures on Sky during the month. The first is on Sunday 3rd against Everton at 1.30, no prizes for guessing it's another away game.

Then follows our only confirmed TV fixture at White Hart Lane so far, Sunday 10th against Newcastle United at noon. We revert back to an away fixture on Saturday 23rd against Manchester City at 5.30pm, another fixture Sky like to show regularly now.

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Six Spurs or former Spurs players now at Swindon Town

League One side Swindon Town are morphing into Tottenham Hotspur reserves it seems.

Appointed Swindon Town boss in February, Kevin MacDonald is a coach Spurs rate at developing youngsters. Tim Sherwood has arranged loan move there for another one more of our youngsters. They are getting quite a collection.

On Tuesday Spurs confirmed the departure of Nathan Byrne to Swindon Town and the highly promising Alex Pritchard on a season long loan there.

Peterborough had hoped to bring the talented Pritchard back on loan, but their chairman revealed Spurs wanted him to go to Swindon and now he has.

In addition to Byrne and Pritchard, Massimo Luongo and Grant Hall are already at the County Ground on loan, former trainee Troy Archibald-Henville signed in June last year and they snapped up Jack Barthram when we released him earlier this year.

There is also talk of the Wiltshire club taking another player we have released, former England Under 17 captain John Bostock.

All in all quite a Tottenham flavour to the club now, at least the players won't be strangers with 6, possibly 7 Spurs or former Spurs players starting the new season there.

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Can Spurs afford £36,500 for Daniao

Tottenham's number one striker target, Leandro Damiao, has been offered just £36,500 a week wages by Napoli to replace the departing Edinson Canani.

Corriere dello Sport report that Damiao has been offered a 5 year deal by the Italian club, with a salary of £1.9 million (€2.21 million) a season, which equates to just £36,500 (€42,395) a week, well within Spurs wage structure.

The fee agreed between Brazilian side Internacional and Napoli, is said to be £18 million (€20.91 million).

"We have been in talks with Internacional before, for quite some time. Last summer, also. It hasn't been possible so I think it's finished" were AVB's words in January, which hardly any Spurs fans believed and sure enough we tried again this window.

Supposedly we had walked away, but do you ever walk away from your number one target if there is still a chance of signing them.

The cat and mouse game with Internacional looked set to run into August, when Daniel Levy is expected to go in late to try and secure the player for a fee more to Spurs valuation. Are Napoli forcing his hand somewhat now though?

Does Levy sit back and hope nothing can be agreed with Napoli or is Champions League the important factor here. Should Daniel Levy let the players representatives know Spurs will pay £50-60,000 (€58-69,673 ) a week, or do they already know that, we don't know, but surely we have offered more than £36,500 (€42,395) wages.

Will Damiao take a lower wage to play in the Champions League, is that what's important to him, or does he tell Internacional I want to join Tottenham, sort a fee out.

David Villa has gone to Athletico Madrid for a small fee, is it now to be Leandro Damiao to Napoli for small wages? Our two main summer targets playing elsewhere.

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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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Harry's January panic buys cause problems

The signing of Peter Crouch is an excellent one. He will provide goals, assists and good link-up play. He has the skill and finesse to flourish in Spurs’ passing game and his obvious physical attributes provide the team with something different. He will also form a good strike partnership with Jermain Defoe. And there lies the problem.

It is hard to envisage a regular starting place for Robbie Keane. It is well-known that Keane and Defoe cannot play together and it is obvious from their success at Portsmouth that Crouch and Defoe are natural partners. Keane appears to be little more than back-up to Defoe and that is without putting Roman Pavlyuchenko into the equation.

Crouch, like Defoe, Keane and Pascal Chimbonda is in his second spell at the club and it could well be that we have two ‘misses’ to go with two resigned ‘hits’. The return of Defoe and Crouch feels right; Chimbonda and Keane’s homecoming does not.

The decision to bring back Keane was questionable at the time, largely because of the massive fee. His £20.3m move to Liverpool felt like good business; giving £15m of it back did not. It makes even less sense now.

Harry must have foreseen a major role for such a big signing, but then he must have done in lavishing a similar amount on Defoe. He is the only man at the club who is not aware of the pair’s unsuccessful attempts to forge a partnership in their first spell at the club.

The signing of Keane was in a way understandable. We were in a relegation battle and the manager was concerned by the lack of leadership on the pitch; he cited this as Keane’s main attribute when bringing him back.

Harry might also have panicked slightly when buying Chimbonda. Vedran Corluka was having a decent season at right back and the manager would surely have overlooked the lack of cover if we were not in such a perilous position, especially as Alan Hutton was on the way back from injury.

Chimbonda can provide cover in other positions (he might well start the season as the first choice centre back) in much the same way Keane can. However, the captain is wasted on the left wing or in central midfield and he is unlikely to relish the prospect of filling in in alien positions.

Darren Bent is on his way out of the club to balance the books. Could it be that Keane will follow him in order to balance the squad? Football betting on that one may well be interesting...

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The Kyle show

The recruitment of Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker is an exciting development for the club. Not only do fans have the pleasure of having two more same-named players to confuse with their encouragement or abuse to go alongside Jermain Defoe and Jermaine Jenas, but it seems the two former Blades are ready for first team duty.

It seems a safe football bet that the fact they have chosen Spurs is significant. The smaller squads of Everton and Aston Villa, rumoured to be interested in the pair, might have seemed a more attractive proposition for players seeking first team football.

Both cannot have failed to notice they joined in the week that another Spurs full back, Chris Gunter, returned to the Championship after failing to make a breakthrough. The fact that both specialise at right back does not help their chances.

Vedran Corluka, Alan Hutton and Pascal Chimbonda have recently arrived and will provide tough competition. This suggests the manager is not truly happy with any of the incumbents, with his repurchase of Chimbonda particularly puzzling.

It also suggests Gareth Bale, often touted for a move away from the Lane last term, is indeed on his way out. Some other big clubs are rumoured to be interested and I would only want to see him leave for a major profit – he played with more confidence at the end of last season and is still a better long-term prospect at left back than Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Both Naughton and Walker have made England representative appearances (U21 and U19 respectively) and the former, older by a year and a half, should make more of an impact this season.

He can play as a right winger as well as at left back and is clearly a good man to have on the bench. He featured in the PFA Championship team of the year last season.
The last double signings from one club were Michael Dawson and Andy Reid in January 2005. We had a hit and a miss on that occasion and it is hoped at least one of the Kyles proves to be an excellent long-term investment.

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Harry's Signings

Regardless of what some media sources are stating, I feel that Harry won't go out "guns blazing" in an attempt to sign a whole host of new talent.

I have said for a while now that I believe a deal was struck in January with Middlesbrough to bring Downing to Spurs in the close season.

I also believe the news that we are discussing a deal with Inter to sign Sulley Muntari.

Harry Redknapp may move Darren Bent & Jermaine Jenas on, but I have a feeling that David Bentley and Tom Huddlestone will remain at the club.

If Bent does leave, I can see Harry attempting to sign a replacement, but don't expect Blackburn's Santa Cruz to be that player, or anyone of that ilk.
To be honest with you, I personally believe that Downing & Muntari will be the only two players that we will sign this summer.

Maybe that's a good thing. After so many seasons in which we seem to buy a new side, let's hope for a summer of settlement and continuity.

Written by Jamie Stevenson of Palmers Green, London

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Munty or Beck's?

It seems as though the media are starting earlier every season in anticipation of who Spurs will buy.

Yesterday we read the news that Inter's superb box-to-box midfielder, Sulley Muntari, was interested in a move back to the Premier League, so naturally, that meant him moving to Tottenham Hotspur.

Today, we're reading that it looks like David Beckham could be in line for a move to the club he turned down when he was 11.

If the above is true, and you had to decide between 24 year old Munty or 32 year old Beck's, who would you go for?

It's a no brainer isn't it? I'd welcome Muntari with open arms. If it means that Jenas is going to Inter in return, then it's a win-win situation.

You need pace in the Premier League and that's why I've gone with the lad from Ghana.

Although I do feel that Beckham would definitely do a decent job for us, we've got to look to the future.

With a midfield hosting Modric, Muntari, Palacios & Lennon, I'd be hard pressed to find a better partnership.

Knowing Harry, I'd put a bet on Muntari coming to our club. After all, he was forced to sell him to Inter while he was Pompey's boss due to the financial trouble they/are in.

Redknapp always rated Muntari as one of the best midfielders in the game.

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Who would you rather Harry let go?

With the commotion relating to the apparent Bent/Bentley/Pavlyuchenko departure(s), who would you actually like to see leave the club?

We felt a bit let down when we read the reports surrounding our Russian striker a few weeks ago. He surely deserves at least another season, after all, he's been playing continuously since March 2008.

As far as we're concerned, Bent and Bentley can pack their bags. Although we feel that Darren Bent is a useful Premier League striker, he just hasn't managed to perform at Spurs.

As for Bentley, the less said the better.

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The gameplan for Sunday

We are all familiar with Harry Redknapp’s prioritisation policy, but our manager knows the importance of Sunday’s Carling Cup final clash with Manchester United. He had a taste of Wembley glory last season with Portsmouth and more silverware, gained through upsetting the best team in Europe will be another notable feather in his managerial cap.

Victory would also be a boost to a team that has faced the ignominy of a relegation battle all season, securing European qualification at a time when our UEFA Cup fixtures are viewed as little more than a hindrance. It is hoped they would not be next season.

However, retention of the trophy and qualification for the first season of the Europa League somehow seems as far away as it did when we embarked on the campaign in the dark days of early season.

Manchester United have an aura of invincibility that makes their target of winning the five tournaments they entered this season eminently achievable. 10 straight Premier League wins and one goal conceded in their last 15 league matches shows the size of Spurs’ task. How will we defeat the Red Devils and repeat last year’s success?

That victory over Chelsea is the first place to look. Players intimidated by our opponents only need look at those who constructed that famous win – as the cliché goes, anything is possible in football and we must not lack self-belief.

Tactically Harry might well use our recent FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford as a blueprint. Although a 2-1 reverse was the final outcome, the manager was pleased with the way our five-man midfield stifled United’s threat, with the doubling up on Cristiano Ronaldo particularly successful.

Spurs played that match under-strength and with a clear counter-attacking mentality, and whilst we will not start the final in the same defensive frame of mind, the absence of Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and Fraizer Campbell might force Harry to again play Luka Modric behind Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Darren Bent appears to be on borrowed time at the club and can expect a place on the bench – having no striking cover on the sidelines might be dangerous.

Wilson Palacios is also unavailable, so Didier Zokora will perform ball-winning duties alongside Jermaine Jenas, who will need to support the front man with his bursts from midfield that have been lacking this season. Tom Huddlestone had a good impact as a substitute last year and we might need him again to come on to pick passes as we search for goals.

The back four will pick itself (fitness permitting) with the containment of Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov a priority. Our former striker was allowed too much space in the FA Cup tie and Ledley King will be keen to prevent him dropping deep and enjoying time on the ball.

Heurelho Gomes will be back between the sticks, which should not alarm Spurs fans as much as they might fear – Carlo Cudicini was as unsure on set pieces against Hull City as the Brazilian has been at any point this season. United are as dangerous from corners and free kicks as anyone and it does not need saying that they are threatening enough without being gifted soft goals.

The final should be a tight, low-scoring affair and we should hope Spurs’ frustrating tactics can produce a 1-0 win, the scoreline that United have benefited from so much recently. They have conceded more than once just three times in 26 league matches, meaning a clean sheet is crucial to our hopes of victory.

Written by Philip Oliver, a Tottenham Hotspur supporter and professional sports writer who blogs about Carling Cup gambling and football in general.

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Fill in the blanks

Honestly, I am lost for words. What are we trying to achieve here? I am actually not too bothered about Robbie Keane coming back, after all, he was the main driving force in the changing room and was known to rally the players together prior to kick-off and at half-time.

I am though, troubled at the "mish-mash" transfer policy that has been installed after the dreadful tenure of Comolli ended.

It looks as though Redknapp had taken a look at Defoe and knew that we needed a goal scorer and so signed him. Then Robbie Keane's agent called Redknapp, informing him that the former Spurs vice-captain had become available and would welcome a move back to Spurs. We know how that turned out.

The problem I have foreseen is that it's clear Harry doesn't know what his best 11 is. How do you play Pavlyuchenko, Defoe and Keane in the same side; a side that will also accommodate the lightweight Modric, Bentley and Lennon?

Please don't use the Palacios card here. He's clearly a good player, but he can't anchor our midfield alone. If we were playing in a fantasy league, then the line-up of;



would look like a tasty one, especially with Cudicini, Bale, Dawson, Jenas, Modric, Dos Santos, & Bent warming the bench. The reality is that the above line-up does not have the steel and grit needed in it to force us out of our current predicament.

Why didn't we sign Reading's, Stephen Hunt? He may not have the flair and pace of Lennon, but he's a fighter.

I really do worry about the lack of determination and drive that is sadly lacking in our current squad.

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