Daniel Levy and Franco Baldini are the stars of Tottenham's blockbuster summer as old habits Die Hard
Aug 29, 2013 12:35
OPINION BY DARRENLEWIS
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This has been a transfer window to remember for Spurs fans, writes Darren Lewis, and Levy's star turn reminds him of a certain Bruce Willis film
REUTERS
More to come? Daniel Levy isn't finished in the transfer market yet
There's a scene in the movie Die Hard where Hans Gruber, charismatic leader of the hijackers, calls the police from up inside the Nakatomi Tower.
Asked for his demands, Gruber - played by Alan Rickman - calls for his "comrades in arms around the world languishing in prison" - to be released.
They include, says Gruber: "the seven members of the new Provo Front. In Canada the five imprisoned leaders of Liberte du Quebec. And in Sri Lanka the nine members of the Asian Dawn movement [he read about them in Time magazine]."
While the police potter off and panic over Gruber's ridiculous requests, he is asked by one of his henchmen whether he thinks they will actually comply.
Gruber replies: "Who cares."
He then gets on with his real objective, trying to steal the $600million sitting in the Nakatomi vault.
Daniel Levy has had a go at a bit of misdirection this week with the Gareth Bale affair.
While everyone has been poring over the winger's absence from training, the threats to fine him and the party being postponed here in Madrid, the Spurs chairman has pushed on with his real priority of getting some more deals over the line .
The less attention on those transfers, the less chance of the heartbreak of last week which saw Chelsea come from the clouds to snatch £30million Willian.
Erik Lamela for £26million is super piece of business. The 21-year-old attacker is widely believed to be one of the most promising talents in world football.
He scored 15 goals from the flanks last season for Roma in 33 appearances and provided five assists. He has a direct-running game that will eventually see him likened to Bale.
GettyErik Lamela of Argentina
Promising talent: Erik Lamela's signing is excellent for Spurs
And with the defensive steel he has behind him at Spurs he will have the freedom to express himself and provide the ammunition for Roberto Soldado.
Far from fretting over the departure of Gareth Bale, Spurs fans cannot wait to see Lamela in action.
Everyone knows all about Christian Eriksen by now. A bargain at around £9million as he has a year left on his contract.
Fortunately Levy had Technical Director Franco Baldini with him in Holland to prevent him making the kind of low offer for the Ajax attacker that would have had Tottenham laughed out of the country.
Instead the deal has been tied up quickly with even Chelsea - who have wingers and no.10s coming out of their ears - unable to step in to snatch him at the death.
The 23-year-old Romanian defender Vlad Chiriches is having a medical today along with Lamela and Eriksen.
Chiriches, a centre-back, is a player that Dinamo Moscow coach Dan Petruscu tried to tempt away from Tottenham earlier this month without success.
Instead he is close to becoming the latest convert to the Tottenham revolution.
Just to be on the safe side, the north Londoners will want to make sure there is no mobile phone signal in the rooms where the medical are taking place or where the contracts are being signed.
You have to say, though that Levy and Baldini have been the real stars of the summer.
It has been already been mentioned elsewhere before but you have to say it again because while Arsenal fans are grumbling over Arsene Wenger's intransigence, Spurs have been decisive.
They have spread excitement among their fans where there had been despair during the early part of the summer.
GettyFranco Baldini
All in order: Franco Baldini has helped Spurs find replacements for Bale
If Baldini can do all this as Tottenham's transfer fixer, just imagine what he could have done for Arsenal.
The word is that Lamela, Eriksen and Chiriches will not be the last men in either. Spurs still want another left-back and another striker.
But you also wonder whether Levy has another couple of fiendish sub-plots bubbling away, again, covered up by the Bale drama.
One would be taking up the challenge of seeing if he can hold off signing the Bale deal long enough for Real to have to take down THAT stage at the Bernebeu.
The Spaniards play Athletic Bilbao at home on Sunday. If the deal is not confirmed by Saturday the structure will have to be dismantled.
The other possible strategy for Levy could be holding off long enough just in case any move for Mesut Ozil or Angel Di Maria from north London rivals Arsenal is dependent on the Welshman's arrival.
Levy would not want the Gunners to sign either player ahead of the Friday deadline that would enable them to face Spurs on Sunday.
You wouldn't put anything past the Tottenham chairman who is very much used to getting his own way and has been described time and again as the most impossibly one-sided supremo to do business with.
Whatever happens though, this has been a summer to remember for Spurs fans. The king is dead. Long live the king.
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Originally Posted by Ollie the Optimist
Adebayor said Arsenal can't handle pressure
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