Tottenham news - Spurs close in on Pienaar, Fans drove Bentley out, Mancini: Bale 50% Spurs potential
Wednesday 12 January 2011
 Spurs close in on Pienaar.
FansFC.com is reporting that Tottenham have agreed a deal to finally bring South African international Steven Pienaar to White Hart Lane.
The reports come in sharp contrast to others which claim Chelsea are now interested in the player. Spurs are thought to have offered the player a contract in the region of £70,000 per week on a four year deal, totalling some £14.65m. The transfer fee is believed to be around £2m due to the player’s contract expiring in the summer.
Pienaar has been regularly linked with a move to White Hart Lane in recent months and it appears he finally has the move he was seeking, though Internazionale and Atletico Madrid were also rumoured to be preparing an approach.
Fans drove Bentley out.
Harry Redknapp has stated his belief that the Tottenham fans may have effectively driven David Bentley out of White Hart Lane, according to The Hackney Gazette.
Bentley rejected a loan move to Birmingham after undergoing a medical earlier this week, but the player remains keen to leave White Hart Lane during the current transfer window.
Redknapp brought the player on during a Carling Cup match with Arsenal, which was Bentley’s first appearance of the season, and feels this performance proved it was time for the player to move on.
He said: “I played him against Arsenal and he hadn’t played for months. He’d been injured, he came back and played his first game in the Carling Cup and I thought he did well. Yet I felt the crowd was on him a bit – they were waiting for him to make a mistake, and it’s not easy when you play like that.
“He was a bit low after the game, I could see that. He was disappointed and I just felt ‘maybe it’s time for him to move on’.”
Mancini: Bale 50% Spurs potential.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini believes that Spurs lose “50% of their potential” without flying Welshman Gareth Bale.
Bale’s stellar season thus far has prompted interest from several of Europe’s biggest clubs, and Mancini believes that a massive continent-wide bidding war would ensue should Harry Redknapp make his prized asset available.
According to Sport.co.uk, he said: “Last year Bale had already proved his value but his career had not yet taken off. Now you would need a lot of money (to sign him). He is a very expensive player. Certainly, Juve with Bale would gain a lot.
"Moreover, what is certain is that if Tottenham decides to put him on the market, Bale would be the strongest target in the summer. Perhaps he (Bale) is the only player who is not a striker that can make a difference. Without him, Tottenham loses 50% of their potential.”
Don’t forget to check out the Tottenham page, updated daily here at A Different League for the latest in-depth analysis.
See the full list of OLBG's free Football Tips here.
Related Articles
|