da pinup bet： Tottenham’s transfer business this summer has been among the most impressive in Europe. It’s to such an extent now that some may be switching stance, more than offering Gareth Bale a clear path to Real Madrid. With the Welsh star, Tottenham were a solid enough team with one standout player; without him and with the investments made from his impending transfer fee, the club look like a genuine top four team in England, one that is simply missing the final validation of Champions League football in the calendar.
da casino： Would it have been possible without Franco Baldini, a star signing in his own right? Daniel Levy has always put the good of the club first, but there were negatives to the way he moved in the market. This summer has been notably un-Tottenham-like, in that everything in terms of depth looks to be done, with only one or two more major names rounding off a hugely successful summer just prior to last calls.
[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”list”]
Baldini has offered Spurs that extra push in the market. He’s a name with an incredible list of contacts, especially in Italy. He’s a football operator who has been fine-tuned to deal with the modern makeup of the game and its labyrinthine transfer market. His contacts have offered Tottenham a broader market with which to pluck a number of very reputable names, and unlike last season when Spurs were linked with star players like Joao Moutinho, the Italian has come in and got the job done early doors.
Even if Willian and possibly Miralem Pjanic are still to arrive, you really struggle to think of the last time Spurs had a team good enough to challenge for the top four on the opening day of the season. With or without Bale in the team at Crystal Palace this past weekend, the starting XI looked like a team who could replicate the number of goals scored by the Welshman, as well as adding even more steel and resilience to the midfield. With what can at best be described as a cameo, how good did Etienne Capoue look on his Premier League debut?
There is a clear theme to transfer success for those in the Premier League this summer. Both Tottenham and Manchester City are more or less done in filling out their squad – and notably with quality – while just a few not so minor matters need attending to prior to the window closing. But both clubs have the benefit of football directors, those who have come in with a clear plan and not too much else on the table to get in the way of their primary focus. Baldini isn’t doubling up as an assistant to Andre Villas-Boas in the dugout, or as a public representative for the club. His job description seems quite clear: take the playing squad to a level where targets can be achieved.
Daniel Levy will likely have more say in the Gareth Bale negotiations with Real Madrid, but Baldini’s presence has freed the Tottenham chairman from strengthening duties elsewhere in the squad. Importantly, all three men – Levy, Baldini and Villas-Boas – appear to be working to the same beat. There’s little to no public disruption over a clash of ideas, and the inclusion of the Italian has allowed Tottenham to make the very best of their lack of Champions League football situation. As I’ve written many times in the past, clubs don’t need Champions League football to attract good, high-end players.
Baldini is proving to be the missing piece of the Spurs puzzle. Is there any real concern as to whether Tottenham will ever have a player as good as Bale again, at least in the near future? Depending on who you ask, Willian could claim to be better than the Welshman. But as I say, that depends on who you ask.
Levy has paired a modern, young and progressive manager with someone who shares the same values. The Tottenham chairman is also hardly removed from the realities of football today, unlike their not too distant rivals. There is an understanding of what’s needed to make the club bigger and better. A new training ground, plans on a world-class stadium and designs on a permanent place in the top four. No egos here, simply a club doing their absolute best to get ahead in the game.
Is Baldini Tottenham’s best signing this summer?
Join the debate below
[poll ]