Tottenham poised to splash Gareth Bale's transfer fee in pursuit of a Champions League place
Tottenham poised to splash Gareth Bale's transfer fee in pursuit of a Champions League place
Spurs' club-record signing Soldado could be followed by swoops for likes of Remy, Eriksen, Pjanic, Lamela and Pastore
Join the club: QPR's Loic Remy (left) is one of Tottenham's targets
Ben Hoskins
They have already made a move to frustrate Newcastle with an enquiry for Queens Park Rangers' Loic Remy.
Now
Tottenham are preparing for a sensational supermarket sweep, fuelled by
the cash that will flood into the club's coffers from the sale of
Gareth Bale.
The Welshman’s imminent departure to Real Madrid has
been perceived as a mortal blow to Spurs’ ambition to return to the
Champions League.
But chairman Daniel Levy is set to turn what
many painted as a footballing disaster into a PR triumph, thanks to the
desperation from Real that has sent the fee soaring into the zone
marked: ‘Silly money’.
Claims in Spain that Levy is squeezing
£105million out of Real for his prize asset mean that far, from weeping
over the loss of their want-away 26-goal talisman, Spurs fans are now
playing the most popular game in the white half of north London: Who Shall We Spend The Money On?
Supporters are already toasting the capture of top-quality Valencia striker Roberto Soldado for a club-record fee. Real deal: Bale is now expected to move to the Spanish giants
Ian Walton
And West Ham boss Sam Allardyce - who has his own plans to
keep Remy in London - believes the looming windfall gives Levy the
chance to do what he previously hoped NOT selling Bale would achieve.
Big
Sam said: “That sort of money is paving the way for the club to bring
in some really good players so they can gain a Champions League place
next season [for 2014-15].
“The hard thing for them is everyone knowing that Tottenham have got that money [to spend].
“When they show interest in any player, the price then rises.
“Tottenham’s biggest problem is actually spending their money.”
Fortunately for Spurs, however, there are still bargains to be had.
For
example, Remy could be spirited away from Loftus Road either on loan or
for the £8m it would cost to trigger his release clause.
Ajax
playmaker Christian Eriksen - who is also wanted by Liverpool - is
versatile and can weigh in with goals. He has just a year left on his
contract and would cost a fraction of the Bale fee at around £15million.
Eriksen may be only 21, but he already has 36 caps for Denmark.
Callum McManaman may not be as glamorous a name as Eriksen,
but the 22-year-old winger was Man of the Match in Wigan’s shock FA Cup
Final win over Manchester City in May.
He would cost as little as £6m from Latics, who are now a Championship side.
Roma playmaker Miralem Pjanic is 23 and rated at around £10m.
Spurs
have been tracking him for some time, and their new technical director
Franco Baldini is well aware of the Bosnian’s capabilities from his own
time at the club.
If, as he has indicated, Pjanic decides to stay in Serie A,
Baldini and Spurs could turn to another Roma star they know -
21-year-old forward Erik Lamela.
Tottenham’s interest in the Argentine predates Baldini’s arrival.
Lamela, known for his exceptional dribbling ability and pace, hit 15 goals last season from 33 appearances.
If Spurs want a bigger name, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder
Javier Pastore’s future has been the subject of speculation since the
big-money arrival of Edinson Cavani to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic up
front.
At the back, Spurs have already agreed a £6.9m fee with Steaua Bucharest for defender Vlad Chiriches.
The 23-year-old should arrive after his club complete a two-legged Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Tbilisi.
If
Levy uses the Bale money wisely, it could be the north Londoners who
are competing in the Champions League qualifiers next summer - at the
very least.
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