Tottenham Transfer Talk (Vlahović) and more
Tottenham Transfer Talk (Vlahović) and more
Before we get stuck into today's Tottenham Transfer Talk, the level of geography is appalling in parents if game show contestants are anything to go by.
None of them seem to know where anywhere is.
This is basic general knowledge, so if you have a child or children interested in football, use that to teach.
They will learn to learn (arguably the most useful skill you could ever teach them), they will learn about the world and grow to be more intelligent adults.
The knock-on effects could be huge.
It might be best if you do some research first, depending upon how old the child is, so you can ask questions and instantly know where to show them the answer.
Google a map (have a globe somewhere in the house) for their favourite teams next opponents before the game.
Show them where it is on a UK or European map. Show them the distance it is away from you and from their teams home ground.
Tell them a little about the place (Wikipedia will help), is it a seaside town like our next FA Cup opponents, does it have a sandy or stone beach, what is the place known for?
If you do this, as it is related to something they like, they will take an interest and they will learn.
Do this before every game and it will become a ritual, their knowledge will grow, their skills at finding answers will grow and you'll be stimulating their brain.
You could do this with players the club is linked to, what club do they play for and where is that in their country and in relation to you.
Mum or Dad could do this with them or you could set them a checklist they have to search for each player, which they would do themselves automatically after a while.
Use the game they love to teach them skills and to teach them about the world.
Morecambe in the FA Cup, Rennes in the UEFA Conference League, Vlahović (where is Serbia, what is the capital, where in Italy does he play etc.), same with Kessié.
It gives any responsible parent a wonderful opportunity to develop a child's learning skills and how useful will that desire be for their education and the rest of their lives.
Plus it gives you time with your child where you are using technology to engage and help them as opposed to a distraction for them.
Alternatively you could take them to your local reference library where they can look it upon a map which will start getting them used to books and encourage their reading.
Tottenham Transfer Talk
What shall we chat about in Tottenham Transfer Talk today, with the January Transfer Window coming up in a few weeks?The January Transfer Window would be a good idea.
OK, the January Transfer Window it is then.
Let's start by setting the scene.
Despite what some may try and tell you, January is a time when players are generally unavailable unless you overspend.
Those available are players not playing, squad men who are basically there as cover in case of injuries, despite managers and head coaches saying they are part of the plans, yeah, the plan is to not play them unless you have to!
The others are players who have their contracts ending in the summer and their clubs may be happy to get some cash for them., although some clubs would prefer to hang on to such players if they are regular first-teamers.
So, it is a window when players are more expensive and comparatively few players are actually available.
It is a window for panic buying to save a situation, rather a squad building window.
It is a window for the short-term, for the current season, which is not how a manager approaches it, unless he is fighting relegation.
Clubs look longer term and look to improve a squad for the next season and season after, thus they wait for the Summer Transfer Market when there are more options.
Tottenham want to sign Franck Kessié, a player who is playing regularly for AC Milan who are top of the league.
Why then would AC Milan let Kessié go, even if his contract is up at the end of the season, when they could win Serie A by keeping him?
Any replacement they could find would have to adapt and that could cost them the title.
That's just one example of why January is difficulty.
Oh and by the way, Kessié is NOT Conte's #1 target as I keep seeing in the press, he isn't even the number 1 target for that position, he is however a target with no transfer fee in the summer, making him a viable option, signing-on fee wise and wages wise.
Something Paratici excelled in at Juventus.
The same applies to teams fighting for UEFA Champions League(UCL) football or European football, depending upon the size of the club and their ambitions.
To simply decide you want a player, doesn't make him available or possible.
Striker wise it would be helpful to have another striker. Harry Kane has only scored one English Premier League (EPL) goal this season, despite scoring 18 in all domestic, European and international games.
Yet Spurs sit 5th, just two points off West Ham United with a game in hand. We are unbeaten in the Premier League under Antonio Conte and have kept three clean sheets out of four.
There is an argument there to say things are not as desperate as the agenda driven haters would have you believe.
So what of a striker in January?
The club has to look long term and if the right striker becomes available then yes snap him up, but can we get #1 choice Dušan Vlahović when the whole of Europe wants him?
I took this from Twitter:
Amazing interview with @vieri_bobo at Social Football Summit
I took this from Twitter:
Amazing interview with @vieri_bobo at Social Football Summit
“I’ve never seen a player like Haaland at his age. €80m clause? He’s worth €200m! He makes a difference, at his age I wasn’t even able to control a ball. I would sign Haaland or Dušan Vlahović immediately”.
Paris St-Germain have dropped their interest in Norway and Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and will instead pursue the signing of 21-year-old Serbia forward Dušan Vlahović from Fiorentina suggest El Nacional.
Vlahovićs agent has confirmed they continue to reject Arsenal’s approaches for the player to this day.
Paris St-Germain have dropped their interest in Norway and Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and will instead pursue the signing of 21-year-old Serbia forward Dušan Vlahović from Fiorentina suggest El Nacional.
Vlahovićs agent has confirmed they continue to reject Arsenal’s approaches for the player to this day.
“Dušan only has his eyes on one London club. A certain new manager’s appointment has only reaffirmed his desire.”
Manchester City are eyeing him, but as an alternative to Haaland if they can not sign the Norwegian.
Rather puts Harry Kane out of the picture, his City move may have gone south, I don't expect him to sign for anyone when they can sign Haaland or Vlahović, both 21 to Kane's 28.
For sure we have been talking and will continue to try and sign him in January, but he wants to stay in Italy until the end of the season and then assess his options.
He will want Champions League football and Juventus will always be a pull for a player based in Italy, however, I hear he turned down Juventus last summer and they are still in financial difficulty.
If we can not get him in January and there is a chance we can sign him in the summer, do we buy someone else further down the list who might be available but isn't even your second or third choice for example?
Are you cutting your nose to spite your face for short-term gain but long-term problems?
Well, no is the answer to that one, you don't.
Obviously the club is looking at all options and as you all know by now Fabio Paratici has many irons in the fire.
Some of you appreciate my view and my latest is that Vlahović had made his mind up to come to Spurs this summer.
I have not heard anything to change that, but there will always be speculation and further offers, opportunities that may change his mind.
If we can finish 4th and qualify for the Champions League that is only going to strengthen our position.
There are relatively few Serbian players who has become successes in the Premier League compared to other nations, which would explain why few sign for our clubs directly from theirs, but they psyche in the country is that the Premier League is the top league in Europe.
That is in Vlahović's psyche as well and he wants to 'break' that Premier League barrier, which is a plus in our favour, as is Antonio Conte.
The club will back Antonio Conte to do a squad overhaul as and when he determines and when Fabio Paratici establishes a certain player is available.
This was all discussed prior to Conte signing, he knows the situation, money is there, not unlimited money obviously, but money is there when needed.
Transfer negotiations will take place, that is normal to come to an agreement but massively overpaying a clubs demands is not going to become standard.
Clubs price players over their value to deter other clubs signing their player, but any club will accept a nutty offer if it helps their finances or they can get a replacement cheaply.
The budget available for Conte is very healthy and Daniel Levy will not be heavily involved if involved at all as he has brought in Conte to work with Paratici on building the squad, not himself.
Anyone under the impression that Daniel Levy is still controlling the football side of things is working under a misapprehension.
Yes Paratici reports to Levy, but it is not a question of can I do this or can I do that, it is we are doing this, we are doing that.
It is keeping Levy informed, not asking permission.
There are plenty of agents in touch with Tottenham who are sounding us out about their clients so we are dining at the top table with interest from quality players, because of Antonio Conte.
Players know what he has done as well as fans, they get excited by the prospect of working with him and what he could just as much as the fans get excited by possibilities of him being at Tottenham.
Spurs are aiming to bring players in in January, but it's to build the squad, not specifically aimed at this season.
That's not to say they wouldn't benefit us this season but we are not going to buy for the sake of buying, as a section of our fans would have us do.
That concludes Tottenham Transfer Talk for today, Wednesday, speak to you soon folks.
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6 comments
When I say I wish you were doing more, that is certainly with the proviso that you do it to suit your own needs & timings etc. Just know there's always appetite for more ;-)
COYS!!
We really do need a couple of new faces if we want to get a European spot next year.
Now Conté's here we've already started to see a far more aggressive & positive approach. There's confidence showing and players are freed up to try more things going forward. There's a buzz about the place (Well, there's a bloody COVID about the place for now but you know what I mean).
Not only that, but some of the players are being tried in new positions. I love that BenD is playing in a CB role now. It seems a good fit. Sanchez again is another player. Not perfect still but way better than before. I used to groan when I saw him on the team sheet.
That's not to say that there is no scope for enha…