James Rodriguez will not be a Tottenham player
By Zac Wassink
Real Madrid star James Rodriguez could fit into any Premier League side, but don’t expect Tottenham Hotspur to even call regarding his services.
If it’s too good to be true for Tottenham Hotspur, it probably is, and that is particularly accurate during this “silly season” portion of the calendar. Thus, when you see you a story from a source such as El Confidencial linking Tottenham with a special player such as Real Madrid attacker James Rodriguez, you can, more often than not, have a quick laugh before brushing it aside.
This isn’t to say Rodriguez couldn’t become a superstar for Tottenham. Truth be told, the 25-year-old would be the biggest signing in club history immediately after he put pen to paper on his deal. It’s not a stretch to suggest an in-form Rodriguez could help put Spurs over the top as the club attempts to again chase the Premier League title and also compete in the Champions League beyond a December fixture.
Not surprisingly, individuals such as Alex Wood at the Daily Star have pointed out Tottenham are one of several clubs apparently not keen on matching Real’s £66 million asking price. That’s to be expected when dealing with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who has a reputation for being a shrewd negotiator capable of “winning” transfer deals made with clubs every summer.
That trend likely won’t end anytime between now and September considering how things went the last couple of times Levy opened the club’s figurative wallet. Tottenham spent a reported £26 million on striker Roberto Soldado in the summer of 2013, and the club acquired midfielder Moussa Sissoko for a fee believed to be £30 million last August. Neither man impressed in Lilywhite, and it seems likely Tottenham will part ways with Sissoko at some point over the next few months.
Some holding out hope Levy and Tottenham could pull off the unthinkable and land Rodriguez may point out that Spurs have, in the past, done well to reinvest funds earned by selling top players, and also that it seems to be only a matter of time before right back Kyle Walker makes a move to Manchester City for what could be a £60 million fee if Tottenham decide to allow the England international to sign for City.
Even if Tottenham were to use some of that money to directly replace Walker, such wishful-thinking individuals would point out, Spurs should still be able to afford whatever Rodriguez’s fee would end up being after some discussions. That’s a positive outlook from members of what is routinely a pessimistic fan base, but all would do well to remember money won’t be the only talking point in any future negotiations between Spurs and Real.
After all, it was not all that long ago when Tottenham and the Spanish giants entered into an agreement and/or a partnership that did Spurs zero favors other than the money they were given for star players Luka Modric and Gareth Bale. What was hoped to be another step in the right direction for a Tottenham team aspiring to become one of the top clubs in England turned out to be a massive mistake.
In short, don’t expect Real to offer a discount on Rodriguez or any other player Tottenham may or may not want to buy, assuming the clubs are actually on speaking terms at the moment. Truth be told, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tottenham elected to pass on doing any business with Real over the final years of the current decade, so those who are already Photoshopping kits on Dele Alli and envisioning him being introduced at the Bernabeu may want to pump the breaks.
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Getting Rodriguez to Tottenham is an achievable feat in an edition of FIFA where transfer fees, wages and other matters can be figured out with the clicks of a few buttons. There are, however, far too many roadblocks preventing Tottenham from pulling this transaction off even if the club would be interested in the first place. Buying Rodriguez would signal Tottenham are ready to financially compete with the biggest clubs in the Premier League, but Spurs, simply put, aren’t there yet, and it’s too early to tell when, or if, they’ll reach such a level.