Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has dealt Spurs fans
a blow by declaring the club will not be splashing the cash during
the January transfer window, despite the club battling on two
fronts for major honours.
However, there was good news as Levy warned off Gareth Bale’s
potential suitors by insisting the Welsh winger is not for sale –
at any price.
The north London club enter the New Year in fine form, sitting just
seven points off the pace at the top of the table and through to
the knockout phase of the Champions League having qualified as
group winners ahead of holders Inter.
But the north London club are dealing with long-term injuries to
Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate, along with an extended absence
for Tom Huddlestone, and fans had been hoping to see the squad
bolstered.
Levy refuted the claim that Spurs are a selling club, but offered
little hope of new faces arriving in January.
“The January transfer window is again upon us," Levy said at the
club's AGM. "We currently have the largest squad in the Premier
League.
“We shall look to rationalise… Overall, we do not anticipate a busy
transfer window.”
However, good news came in the form a forthright defence of the
club’s selling policy and a no-nonsense reply to suggestion that
Bale could be leaving in the summer.
The Wales international has been linked with a number of Europe’s
football elite following his stunning displays in domestic and
European competition but Levy rubbished claims Bale’s departure was
inevitable.
Levy said: “I’ve never deemed us to be a selling club, if you look
at the big transfers which have taken place since I’ve been
chairman.
“Both Berbatov and Michael Carrick had two years left on their
contract, both players wanted to go and that was the reason they
were sold. “But in the case of Gareth he’s got a long contract and
I can assure you he will not be sold.”
Boss Harry Redknapp has transformed the club from relegation fodder
into genuine contenders for Europe’s top prize. But there was,
however, no denial that if England came knocking for boss Redknapp,
the club could stop their manager from walking away.
“Harry is on a long-term contract. If and when they contact us we
will have to deal with it accordingly,” said the chairman.
Inevitably, the situation surrounding the development of the
current site in Tottenham or the Olympic stadium in Stratford, but
the board remained tight-lipped about which plan they
favoured.
Levy denied he and the club have ignored the sentiments of the
fans, dismissing the claim that the vast majority are dead set
against a move to east London.
And he reiterated just how crucial selling the naming rights to any
potential new stadium is to the whole process, be it at White Hart
Lane or in Stratford.
He said: “I'm a fan, I have lots of friends who are fans and I have
lots of interaction with fans everyday. “I do talk to people and
have feedback so without any surveys I can tell you I have a pretty
good feel as to what the mood is.
“But as far as funding a project of this size it will be a
substantial naming rights transaction. That’s what’s happened in
America and for any of the new stadia recently built in this
country.”