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Transfer Grade: Newcastle’s purchase of Andros Townsend from Tottenham

By Rucker Haringey

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 14: Andros Townsend of Spurs U21s is closed down by Mason Holgate of Everton U21s during the Barclays U21 Premier League match between Everton U21 and Tottenham Hotspur U21 at Southport FC on December 14, 2015 in Southport, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 14: Andros Townsend of Spurs U21s is closed down by Mason Holgate of Everton U21s during the Barclays U21 Premier League match between Everton U21 and Tottenham Hotspur U21 at Southport FC on December 14, 2015 in Southport, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle has finally completed the long-rumored purchase of Tottenham winger Andros Townsend for 12 million pounds. Was it a good deal for the Magpies?

Newcastle Transfer Grade: B+

As a Tottenham fan, I’ve seen a lot of Andros Townsend over the years. I’ve watched him through the good times and the bad so I have a fair idea of what sort of player Newcastle are getting. Ultimately, I think Townsend has a real solid future in the Premier League, just not with a top four club as Tottenham aspires to be. That makes this deal a B+ for Newcastle.

Let’s start with what Townsend is: he is a pacy winger who can terrify opposing defenses with his speed and trickery. When he’s on his game he has a real eye for goal and he can stretch a defense both laterally and vertically. He can provide an excellent shift when he’s in the right frame of mind.

The trouble with Townsend, is that he doesn’t have a reputation for being very coachable. The player he is today, is roughly the same player he was several seasons ago. It’s also pretty much the player you can expect him to be two seasons from now.

He can drive you insane with his lack of end product. For a player who always looks to shoot, his shot can certainly look quite wayward upon occasion. If you have tickets near the corner flag at Newcastle, you might want to stay alert for wayward shots.

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Still, 12 million pounds is about the right price for this sort of player. He is a full English international, which brings a premium in today’s transfer market so that must be taken into account as well. Ultimately, if you get a player who has the potential to be an above-average starter on your side for that price, it’s a good deal.

Tottenham Transfer Grade: A-

While many Spurs fans are celebrating Townsend’s departure today, I have a twinge of sadness about him leaving. He does have electrifying pace and he’s provided the club a few moments of real brilliance. There will always be a sense of “what might have been” for me as it relates to Townsend.

Still, it’s clear that he was entirely outside of manager Mauricio Pochettino’s plans. He’d been exiled to the youth setup for weeks and there was no indication that he had any chance of making it back to the senior squad.

In essence, Daniel Levy has managed to sell a player entirely surplus to Pochettino’s requirements for 12 million pounds. It may not be the 14 million he was reportedly looking for, but it’s still good business for Tottenham’s shrewd chairman.

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