Gylfi Sigurdsson was finally unveiled a Spurs player yesterday. Attacking midfielder, further up the pitch than those with deeper qualities - so he's not a replacement for Luka Modric. But perhaps one that might play the role van der Vaart does. The latter continues to be linked to a move back to Germany whilst the former will hopefully link up in attack with precision passing and pin-point thunderous shots. Useful with set pieces which given our recent history is a Gods send. Let's hope he doesn't lose his abilities from dead ball positions once he dons the Spurs shirt.
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Steven Caulker has signed a new four year contract. High hopes. Brilliant season for Swansea and hopefully will be part of our campaign this one along with what is shaping up to be strong centre-back depth alongside Kaboul, Dawson and Jan Vertonghen (any day now). Still no news on Ledley King's decision on whether to retire and if he plans to accept one of the clubs offers to retain him at the club (perhaps as a coach).
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Pienaar back to Everton. No shocker. Well documented he wanted to join Spurs then soon admitted a mistake and wanted to leave. A signing the chairman made the manager didn't want. I'll add in 'allegedly' to give it that whimsical touch of confusion. Because you wouldn't believe it was Bill Kenwright that confirmed all of the above. Ooh ITK. Where's my badge of honour?
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Talking of Vertonghen, he's training with his current club Ajax although sources in Holland suggest by Monday he'll be training with us. The player appears to be philosophically ambiguous, suggesting he's prepared to move but is happy at Ajax but would be disappointed if he didn't join Spurs. The contract wrangling over money owed to him by Ajax remains the glitch in completing the move. Medical, contract and fee all agreed and done.
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Oscar? Tim Vickery (South American football expert) had this to say on a much maligned radio station. Rare credibility for them.
Seems a mature young man. Happy to take responsibility. Always a gamble bringing him over. Question over whether Inter want to sell. Given the choice I think they would rather sell Leandro Damiao.... They have a hefty wage bill and might need to sell. Would be surprised if they have done a deal already (before the olympics)
This particular link has been doing the rounds since last season when Oscar was connected with Tottenham (along with Leandro, no not that one, another youthful Brazilian striker). It's all been made more tangible by the fact that Inter already have a relationship with us (Sandro) and our persistence on Damiao (which has cooled). Villas-Boas was recently in Brazil. Daniel Levy was recently in the USA (could have comfortably taken a connecting flight?). Let's do the maths and dance a jig. This one might actually happen.
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dos Santos on ESPN radio:
"I want to return to Spain, there is a new coach at Tottenham, a new season is starting and it is clear to me that I want to return to Spanish football."
All dependent if Levy is still looking to earn back more on the player than he spent on him. Is £4M a fair valuation? Taking wages paid to player into consideration, it's probably why he gets priced out of a move every summer. Levy probably wants £6M. Villas-Boas might fancy him. Wouldn't be the first time a player has returned from the brink of oblivion and made a success of it. Although in his case it will be from the brink of the bar. If legend is true. If it isn't, if the lad does commit in training then we'll see it for ourselves - either at Spurs or in La Liga. Mexico aside he has flattered to deceive. If it's because nobody has believed in him since signing for us, we'll have to wait to be proved wrong - then again, judging by the above quote, we won't see the outcome in Lilywhite.
Talk of a media embargo on a certain sports radio station (yep, the much maligned one) and one of its presenters bragging about 'massive Spurs' news before doing a complete u-turn to suggest he was only referring to the appointment of Villas-Boas. The suggestion is it involves knowledge about this alleged investment/financial injection/naming rights rumour that has spent the best part of the last month waiting to be announced (according to people who claim to know its going to be announced). It gets more colourful when people start to connect the dots, claiming it's why Bale signed a new long term contract and why other players want to sign (as opposed to all that just being business as usual in-house developments). Until Tottenham reveal all, it's all guess work.
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Caulker and Villas-Boas photographed at The Lodge in Under Armour shirts. Cockerel on opposite side of where it would usually grace the chest. Innovation.
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Player exodus:
Ben Alnwick - to Barnsley
Oscar Jansson - released
Jesse Waller Lassen - released
Kudos Oyenuga / Mirko Ranieri - contracts expired but no more info
A collective 'meh' is shrugged.
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Goal line technology set to be introduced this season. It's all coming together people. No longer shall we be cheated. FA could be introducing it during December (won't be ready before then) so controversy still has a few games left to break hearts.
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Newcastle away. Live on ESPN. The revolution will be televised. Haters gonna hate.
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Latest from the ITK grapevine: Hugo Lloris is linked. Too early to scratch our heads over this one. Easy to forget we still have Gomes at the club. Adebayor might sign permanently, always a 50/50 chance of that happening based on his loan spell with us. Now that Sahin has ruled himself out of moving away from Real Madrid, Gonzalo Higuain is being linked as part of a deal involving Luka Modric. Higuain? Far fetched. Out of our reach. Didn't we go through this already with the Benzema fantasy? It's got to be fantasy, right? Yes? No?
Time for a cold shower.