Pulis pulling the wool over Baggies eyes

The WBA PR machine continues to churn out Berahino stories to try and smooth the waters this time with Tony Pulis making remarks that on the surface try to suggest Berahibo is at WBA to stay.

It's all about trying to get the WBA fans to accept a player who doesn't want to be there and was prevented from leaving despite his price being matched. We have recently had the talk of a new £50,000-a-week contract up from the stories of a new contract a month or so earlier of a double your wages £35,000-a-week offer.

The suggestion is a £25-million buyout clause would be inserted to ensure he could leave, however if he doesn't sign that contract then next summer he isn't worth £25-million as he would only have a year on his contract and that is where the problem with the latest quote of WBA manager Tony Pulis to Sky Sports.

"Personally I don't think Tottenham will ever come back. I don't think that will happen. I just think most probably the two clubs have tried to do a deal and it's not worked and not happened.  

"I don't see Daniel (Levy, Tottenham chairman) coming back to try to sign Saido again. I might be wrong. It is not anything. It's just my feeling. I just don't see Daniel coming back.”

If he signs a new contract then Pulis may well be right there are other fish in the sea, but if he doesn't sign a contract then his price drops significantly so in that instance it is probable that we would come back in for him. With just a year before he is available for free, his price would come down around £10-million.

It's the reason Southampton sell players with two years remaining on their contracts because that is the last point they can claim top money for them, something they openly admit. The fan who thinks a player has a set value come what may is out of touch with the way transfers work.

I called this transfer right, it was all about the determination of risk. WBA didn't want a risk element or wanted it as small as possible preferring guaranteed money whether he failed or not. Tottenham wanted an element of the transfer fee as 'risk' in the form of add-ons based on performance. If he did what WBA think he can do we pay the money, if he isn't the player they think he is and he doesn't perform under the greater pressure at Spurs then the add-ons are not paid.

The ball is in Berahino's court, does he take the extra money now and perhaps prevent himself from leaving if he doesn't score goals due to his fee being then too high?

Does he refuse to sign a new contract and leave cheaply next summer, clubs actively target players with a year left on their contracts, we do, Liverpool do, Arsenal do, everyone does, they do it for a reason.

It's a tightrope for them, but they can't tell their supporters that, they have to try to convince them he is committed to a cause he isn't and make everyone best buddies again.

Further Tottenham Reading
Plenty of questions to answer at the weekend
Is it too early to suggest we have a new Dembele?
How can England fit Kane and Rooney in the same team?

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