The English club, Tottenham Hotspur, has taken everyone for a wild ride through this summer’s transfer window. Big name players have gone, new signings have come to White Hart Lane, and it’s not over yet! Only 1 day until the summer transfer window closes, Monday at midnight, and Juande Ramos is still signing new contracts hoping to make a difference.
Dimitar Berbatov, one of Tottenham’s seasoned players, is undecided whether he will spend this season with Spurs or make his “Dream Move” to Old Trafford. So far, Manchester United has made two official bids for the 27 year old, but Juande Ramos has not found the price suitable. If Berbatov is to go, Ramos would like around 30 million pounds and, according to the news, he has claimed ‘if a suitable price is not offered Berbatov will spend a season with the reserves.’ Whether or not this is true, and who am I to say he doesn’t; but does he really deserve to spend a season on the bench after helping the Lilywhites to lift the Carling Cup last year? We have heard some opinions from fans and they have said things like; “yes, Berbatov is a disgrace to the team,” and so on. Is this true? Whatever the answer, he should not be left alone to watch from the sidelines when the players think of him as an important part of the team. With their newest transfer, he could be one step closer to a contract with Man. Utd.
A new face coming into the picture is Russian, Roman Pavlyuchenko. This move was decided very quickly, in fact almost over night. Pavlyuchenko was one of many names at the top of Ramos’s list, but at the beginning of the summer he did not wish to play at White Hart Lane. Clearly somewhere down the line he changed his mind and told UEFA.ru, “I can confirm I’m going to Tottenham;” and now here he is. He was left out of Spartak Moscow’s Champions League qualifier vs. Dynamo Kiev, and was in Moscow waiting for a Visa to go to England and sign a contract with Tottenham. He is now officially signed on and is a new member of the Spurs family. Again, negativity has come from the fans saying, “We have no good strikers this year,” but with this buy, surely they will change their minds, as Pavlyuchenko was one of the best strikers in the European championships.
The transfer deal with Andrei Arshavin, has been probably the most difficult to solve. Zenit St. Petersburg, wanted 24 million pounds for the Russian after his stunning performance at the Euro 2008. Only last week, they lowered their asking price to 20 million pounds and it looked as though it would go through, but the deal seems to have dropped. Arshavin had told the press ‘he wanted nothing more than a move to Tottenham,’ and he would have made a great addition to the team and very well still could, but Spurs claim their interest in him is over. Croatian international, Vedran Corluka, sparked some interest in the Spur’s thinking. They were wishing to link Corluka with national team mate, Luka Modric, but it seems he has decided to stay with Manchester City.
At the moment Tottenham may not have a seasoned line up or have strikers of enough quality for some, but they do have the makings of a great team. Their new summer signings are; Luka Modric, Giovani Dos Santos, Huerlo Gomez, David Bentley, Cesar Sanchez and now Roman Pavlyuchenko. Juande Ramos agreed terms with Croatia’s, Luka Modric before the Euro 2008 because he new the talented player’s price would go up after the tournament. Modric was at the top of many lists but chose to come to Tottenham because he was “proud of the prospect of coming to England,” and said, “The time was right (to move).” He also revealed he is “a big fan of Juande Ramos” and Tottenham was his “favorite choice since their first meeting,” which made this move perfect. Modric has put his faith in the team and intends to win the title. Giovani Dos Santos, also a member of the Mexico national team, took this opportunity as an honor. He is ready to make history at White Hart Lane and has also told the press he wishes to be “the next Ronaldo.” Huerlo Gomez is a top quality goal keeper and once everyone settles in he will be one of the best in North London. David Bentley has revealed his excitement about the start of the new season and is ready to wear the Spur’s crest on his jersey. Cesar Sanchez is the new sub goal keeper and whenever he has to take over goal it will be in good hands. Roman Pavlyuchenko is like a goal scoring machine and will be a great addition to the team.
So does Tottenham have what it takes? They have a good team setup, great players, and now all they need is support from the fans. Numerous times we have heard the players say, “The fans really help us on the pitch,” and, “The fans help our confidence and make it easier to score.” Fans back their team through thick and thin and that’s all that they need now, some confidence coming from the stands instead of the negativity like we have been hearing. In the game just played, Sunday 31st, Tottenham went up against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea was on a home winning streak but Spurs held the score 1-1, breaking their stride. It looks as though Spurs are warming up to the new season and if they can hold Chelsea 1-1, they are capable of being one of the best. This win should give the negative Spurs fans something positive to chew on. Spurs have what it takes to win the title and will work their hardest to do just that. Go Spurs!
Jill Guthrie
