Tottenham Transfer Talk: Sunday Afternoon

It is going to be a big week in the transfer market.

The market is usually kicked off by a big deal that has a chain, just like buying a house. Until then, clubs negotiate deals and put proposals to players and clubs.

Some will be definite agreements, such as ours early in the window with Real Betis to buy Giovani Lo Celso and with Fulham to buy Ryan Sessegnon. Some will simply be in principle if things fall right, such as the agreement with Joachim Andersen if Toby Alderweireld left.

Toby hasn't left and he decided not to wait any further but to start pre-season thus he signed for Lyon. That has the effect of us looking elsewhere and talking to players and clubs about potential deals such as Real Sociedad for Diego Llorente.

Nabil Fekir has pushed Real Betis into a position where they must sell, but changing a payment structure alters what we can do, not just in this window, but future windows. If Real Betis ant a changed payment structure then Daniel Levy will want a reduction of the fee. Tit for tat. 

If you want us to help you then you have got to give us something. You can't have your cake and eat it.

Betis can't sign a striker at the moment because they have no money, they have already spent some of the Lo Celso money on Fekir.

I keep mentioning, most transfers are agreed with installment payments. Take Saint-Étienne. 

The French club have sold Willian Saliba to Arsenal for €30m (£27.01m - $33.44m) plus add-ons and Rémy Cabella to Krasnodor for €12m (£10.80m - $13.38m) plus add-ons.

Income €42m (£37.82m - $46.82m) right, plus add-ons?

Well no. 

The payments are in installments so this summer Saint-Étienne only receive €13m (£11.70m - $14.49m) and that, I believe, is what goes in the books, not the total income figure. That gets spread over the next few years as income.

Arsenal are said to have a transfer budget of £45m (€49.98m - $50.16m) yet are agreeing on a deal worth €80m (£71.76m - $89.18m).

If we assume all players sign 5-year contracts then you could times that £45m figure by 5 to get a true figure of £225m (€249.90m - $278.57m). 

Of course, nobody is going to spend that or they would be limited in future windows what they could spend. 

The only reason you would do so is if you were chasing success and gambling on getting it (rather screwed the club if you don't) or if you have a transfer ban coming up so it wouldn't be negated somewhat.

We have spent £8.5m (€7.65m - $9.48m) on Jack Clarke which is probably one lump sum, hence the fee, would be more if it were installments and €62m (£55.82m - $69.11m) plus add-ons on Tanguy Ndombélé.

We will be spending £23m (€25.55m - $25.64m) plus add-ons on Ryan Sessegnon and £61.23m (€68m - $75.80m) plus add-ons on Giovani Lo Celso.

Total Transfer Fees £148.55m (€164.99m - $183.93m) plus add-ons.

Less Jack Clarke Fee £8.5m (€7.65m - $9.48m)

Total Transfer Fees £140.05m (€155.55m - $173.40m)

Assuming all contracts are over 5 years we divide this number by 5.

£140.05m (€155.55m - $173.40m) divided by 5 = £28.01m (€31.11m - $34.68m)

Cost of transfers this summer £28.01m (€31.11m - $34.68m) + £8.5m (€7.65m - $9.48m)

Total Cost of Transfers This Summer £36.51m (€40.55m - $45.20m)

We are committed to spending £28.01m (€31.11m - $34.68m) for the next 4 years on transfers plus whatever we have remaining from previous purchases, thus not spending for a whole year has put us into a healthy position.

If you commit to spending too much for the next 4 years then the following year would see restricted money for transfers depending upon how much you can generate in sales.

Now when you sell a player, I understand that the whole amount goes into your books straight away, even though the payments do not. We have sold Janssen and given his fee that will be one £7m (€7.77m - $8.67m) lump sum anyway.

I would argue that Spurs do still have money to spend, but it would mean some players having to be sold next summer and we know the difficulty of selling players before you buy because other clubs and players leave it late in the window to either reduce the price or see what offers they'll get.

If we loan Wanyama then we get a loan fee, don't have to pay his wages and have a saleable asset. I'd expect both Erik Lamela and Eric Dier to be in the frame to be sold, anyone with 2 years remaining on their contract we would listen to offers for except those signing new contracts.

It is the same scenario each window so without calculating previous windows, which I haven't done, you can't for certain give our financial position over transfers, although the extra £26m (€28.88m - $32.19m) from shirt sponsorship will help.

Oh look, that and loan fees will have covered what Spurs have spent in the transfer market this summer!