Mason £6m to Bournemouth

Mason £6m to Bournemouth

Mason £6m to Bournemouth

Eddie Howe would like to take Ryan Mason to Bournemouth. Plenty of Spurs fans would be happy with that but unless Mauricio Pochettino wants to sell him, and I don't think he does, then Mason won't be going anywhere.

Things can change in a transfer window and players can change their mind. It isn't simply a question of a club offering more money to buy a player, as a daft element seem to think, but what the player wants is of paramount importance. Players have all the control today, a contract is merely a way of ensuring your player has maximum value in the transfer market, thus, his fee deters clubs purchasing.

Mason has struggled with injury and the form of Mousa Dembele has kept him out the side. Next season we will need a squad who can handle the higher quality of the Champions League and a Premier League challenge. That will require players who know our system and Mason certainly does that. Even if you accept he isn't the quality of a motivated Mousa Dembele, there are still plenty of games where he is a perfectly acceptable part of the midfield.

He scored the winner against Sunderland early in the season and suffered an injury in a collision with their goalkeeper, he has struggled for game time since.He loves the club and didn't want to leave before when he had the chance. Unlike Andros Townsend he has the right attitude and accepts it is down to him that he isn't in the team as much as he would like so he'll just have to work harder to improve.

Bournemouth are said to have him at the top of their shopping list and preparing a £6-million offer, which isn't going to meet our valuation. Mason is unlikely to want to leave so at that price there is no chance of success. What it will allow Bournemouth to do is begin a dialogue, which I expect will be swiftly ended. Mason could see himself playing Champions league football next season, he is hardly going to swap that for a relegation battle, especially given he is a Tottenham supporter, as well as player.