Two signings in one
Our first transfer activity of the new year, apart from loaning out some of our youngsters, may be to sign a sporting director, technical director, all one and the same thing, A Franco Baldini type replacement for Paul Mitchell.
Paul Mitchell has come to Spurs and reorganised our scouting system and player analysis operations. He has subsequently resigned because the club don't operate the way he perceives they should. He is working his notice and agreed to stay on while the club found a successor. That successor looks as though they will be taking on a wider role.
There is no denying we have moved up a level to now compete with the big boys in the top tier, the top four of the Premier League. A club, having made that jump, has to first stay there and then grow to establish themselves there. Currently Liverpool and ourselves are trying to achieve that with Manchester United trying to rebuild and bring back their former status.
If we are to grow, then we will be needing some quality brought in, not many, just one or two who can make a difference. To do that we need someone within the club with global contacts at the right level. It isn't a role where they decide our transfer targets, but one where they can conduct initial negotiations and broker deals that the hierarchy at the club can then complete.
That man, it seems, may be former Roma director of football, Walter Sabatini. The 61-year-old resigned after players he brought to the club were repeatedly sold, despite Roma president Jim Pallotta spending months trying to convince him to stay. He left the club after 5 years at the beginning of October and the Italian side appointed Frederic Massara in his place.
Sabatini has been in London and told the media at a restaurant in Fulham that he is close to returning to work and joked about having withdrawal symptoms from not being involved in football daily. The assumption is that that will be a role overseeing transfer at Tottenham for the chain smoker. There are also reports that he could be set for a role at Chelsea.
He explained he was in London to watch some football games as that was the only league playing football at the time. He previously told the media that he rates young 19-year-old (20 in May) Brazilian attacking midfielder Gerson very highly and that is he isn't given game time at Roma he'll take him to his next club.
Two signings in one!
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