According to reports in the Evening Standard, West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans is among Arsenal’s summer transfer targets, and he could be seen as a replacement in the XI for Laurent Koscielny.
What’s the word, then?
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Well, the Evening Standard says that the north London outfit expect to be busy in the transfer window under whoever their new manager is going to be, following a second successive season of finishing outside of the top four in the Premier League and failing to qualify for the Champions League.
The Evening Standard says that the Gunners want a new centre-back and Evans, who has 68 international caps for Northern Ireland could be available for just £3m if the Baggies are relegated because of a clause in his contract, is one of their targets.
It is no surprise that Arsenal are looking to strengthen their defence this summer having conceded 48 goals in their 36 top flight matches – 16 more than arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur and 11 more than seventh-place Burnley.
How has Evans done this season?
It’s been a tough campaign for West Brom and the versatile defender – who is capable of playing as a left-back as well as centre-back – and he played in just one of their three Premier League victories up until last month having missed the first two through injury back in August.
The 30-year-old has actually failed to get into the XI under Moore so far having been absent for the draw against Swansea City and the win against Manchester United because of injury, and he has had to settle for a spot on the substitutes’ bench with Craig Dawson and Ahmed Hegazi shining on the pitch.
The former Red Devil is known for his experience, leadership and being good in possession however, and he is sure to have his suitors whether the Baggies stay up or go down.
Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?
It’s difficult to say.
Evans certainly hasn’t had the best season but having played many times for Manchester United previously, he has shown that he can make an impact at the highest level in the Premier League.
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Whether that would be as a starter remains to be seen, but he would certainly add some much-needed English top flight experience alongside the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding.
He could also prove to be a decent replacement for Laurent Koscielny, whom Arsenal fans on Twitter had little sympathy for following his Achilles injury, with his arrival potentially bringing the Frenchman’s eight-year spell at the Emirates to an end.
With the signing of Sergio Romero from Sampdoria, you wonder whether David de Gea getting closer to the Old Trafford exit door and what effect that could have on Louis Van Gaal’s side.
In one word, it would be big. As it was once said by the great Sir Alex Ferguson, “a top goalkeeper gets you 15 points per season” and last season many would agree that de Gea did at least that.
And if he did leave, de Gea’s departure would cost United dear. Not only is he a fantastic keeper who makes some ‘good’ saves, he made great saves when United need him to the most last term.
Of course with a goalkeeper it is tough to exactly work out how many points they earn their side over the course of the seasont as they do not score goals. Clean sheets don’t really tell you everything.
But of course when a player leaves, the replacement of said player can either soften or accentuate the void. There’s no doubting Romero’s ability, but he’s not of de Gea’s standing, so perhaps in this instance the replacement won’t quite match up and points could be lost over the course of a season instead.
The stats do show that de Gea had the impact many on lookers would have thought last season. His impact was huge in the United goal, as clear chances missed against the Spaniard was up at 68% second highest in the league. When compared to the league average, the Spaniard is keeping out 10% more clear chances than the any other goalkeeper in the Premier league.
One thing that highlights this point is how, according to Opt,a no Premier League side made more unpunished errors leading to chances than United last season. The reason why they didn’t lead to goals was down to the Spanish international’s heroics between the sticks.
The stats show that de Gea’s brilliance last season prevented five goals that should have gone in, but for the Spaniard’s efforts five goals may not seem like a lot.
But it depends on what five goals you are talking about. In the five games where the opposition missed more than three clear cut chances against United, the Reds won by more than one goal just once, meaning de Gea arguably won his side 12 points last season.
And for arguments sake, those 12 points could prove huge if he does indeed leave. It could be the difference between a fourth place or spot just inside the top seven. Or even the title and third place.
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His impact can’t be underestimated and his departure would have a huge impact on the Reds should they let him go this summer.
He’s had a terrible season at Spurs, frustrating the fans with his poor performances, yet without Emmanuel Adebayor on Wednesday night, Tottenham probably wouldn’t have got a point from their match with Chelsea. The Togolese striker scored a stunner to level the scores at 1-1, before his delicate back-heel assisted Gylfi Sigurdsson to equalise for the second and last time just minutes before the full time whistle.
A rare, superb display by the forward, scoring his seventh goal in all competitions for Spurs this season. And yet such a great performance can frustrate so many fans. Tottenham’s faithful will be asking why he doesn’t play like that every week. Often criticised for being lazy and uninterested most of the time, Adebayor looked like a man proving a point at Stamford Bridge. With AVB supposedly looking to bring in a new striker in the summer, maybe Adebayor was proving he still has what it takes at White Hart Lane, or maybe he was just desperate to get into the Champions League. For whatever reason, the former Arsenal star was on top of his game
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A professional performance from a man who has been completely unprofessional at Tottenham all season. The forward struggled from the off this campaign, scoring his first goal in November against Arsenal before getting sent off. After getting his third goal in all competitions by the second day of 2013, the majority of supporters weren’t too upset to see him jet off to the African Cup of Nations. Adebayor appeared four times for Togo, and although he only scored once, he played much better than when wearing the white of Tottenham.
And yet when he came back, Manu was still struggling in a Spurs shirt. He upset Tottenham fans instantly, with his delayed return from the African Cup of Nations. With Jermain Defoe out injured, Spurs needed Adebayor. But he was still in Africa, where he claimed there was no travel arranged for him to return, after he was asked to meet the Togo President with the rest of the team. Supporters may have forgiven him eventually, but they were still frustrated with his performances when he returned. Knowing he was a good player, it was difficult to give an explanation as to why Adebayor was failing to make a positive impact.
But the chant “He scores when he wants” seems to be appropriate when it comes to Adebayor. A temperamental player, the draw against Chelsea showed Spurs fans he still has the quality they saw when he first joined the club. And yet the fact the Togo forward decides not to play with the same energy or desire in all of Tottenham’s matches, let alone score goals such as on Wednesday night, has left Spurs supporters in pain.
Never looking hungry, or energetic, Adebayor has been a frustrating player to watch. Chelsea fans may suffer from seeing Torres struggle to score, but at least they see the Spaniard try hard to get on the score sheet. But with Adebayor, there appears to be a lack of drive, and just the occasional piece of magic which makes most Tottenham fans keep the faith with the former City forward, before once again letting them down with a string of goalless, effortless matches.
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After he demanded such high wages when Spurs made his loan deal permanent, you would expect the striker to work hard to remind the club why they pay him approximately £100,000-a-week. Instead, Daniel Levy watches his money trudge along the pitch, with no desire to bust a gut. And then when everyone starts to question the striker, once every one or two months, he plays closer to his 100% talent, to ease supporters’ woes. And then the cycle loops, ending disappointment with one brief, yet quality performance, before reverting back to his normal, lazy state of disinterest. He may well have been crucial in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea, but if the club are serious about becoming a Champions League team, they are best off chucking the man sucking up their wages, and bring in a hungry, energetic forward instead.
There was an almost macabre element to endure as you sat back and watched the Robin van Persie transfer story unfold. It wasn’t anything to do with the ambitions of the player nor even the acceptance of the club to sell to one of their greatest rivals. It’s more the simple principle that Arsene Wenger has been perceived to have done the best he could, to squeeze £24million out of his star acquisition.
Because even if circumstances dictated Van Persie’s sale was inevitability, it still doesn’t mean it’s right. Sir Alex Ferguson personally intervening to make the sale stick, felt akin to the school bully walking over and nicking Wenger’s lunch money. Wenger was powerless and even though he may view the avoidance of a beating -in this case, a potential RVP Bosman- as something of a victory, the truth is he’s still been forced to give up something he so dearly wished to keep.
Wenger achieved the best possible deal he could for the football club and time may even dictate Van Persie’s sale to be something of a masterstroke, given his injury history. But even if it does turn out to be a blinder, it’s one that should never have been played.
As the Gunner’s failed to net in their Premier League curtain raiser against Sunderland on Saturday, the hacks of Fleet Street probably couldn’t believe their luck.
The Sun took it upon themselves to spell it out as bright as day for Arsenal fans with the overzealous “NO RVP = NO GOALS,” hammered their back page, adjacent to the rather apt image of Arsene Wenger burying his head in his hands. The task of replacing 37 goals may have started in earnest during the weekend, but it’s clear that the replacement duo of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud are going to be under massive pressure to perform from the off this season. Foreign signings need to be allowed a fair period of adjustment to bed into the trappings of English football. The stirring has begun and it feels as if it their purgatory period may have already defined by the shadow of their predecessor.
Because they’re not just replacing any run of the mill striker. It feels very clichéd to describe Van Persie as irreplaceable but how do you go about replacing a player who at times last season, almost dragged his team kicking and screaming back into the top four? Talismanic is one thing. Scoring 30 league goals, creating another nine and urging your team on as club captain is quite another. You may not be able to put a definitive value on those traits, but £24milion certainly doesn’t cover it.
However, the sale of Van Persie was dictated under the looming circumstance of his rapidly expiring contract. The Dutchman had one year left to run on his deal at the Emirates. The reality was of course, that should Wenger refuse to sell his prize asset now, that he would go for nothing the following summer. Barring an absolute catastrophe, it’s hard to envisage that he’d have had a lack of clubs to pick from with a non-existent transfer fee. He wanted out and he had to go this summer.
And considering the situation, Wenger did a cracking job to get the amount of money he did for his skipper. At 29, Van Persie is at the wrong end of his twenties, had a contractual situation that drastically effected his transfer fee and most prominently, had only managed more than 28 league games in a season for the first time in his career last term. He represents a substantial risk to Fergie, but should they win a Premier League or a Champions League off the back of his mercurial left foot, the fee is all but forgotten.
But the point is that the elements of risk in this deal would be a hell of a lot more prominent, had he not cost £24miilion. And if his deal had say three years left to run as opposed to one, there’s no way he’d have left the Emirates for a penny under £30million, at the very least. As a simple matter of risk management, would Manchester United, Juventus or any other club for that matter, have been willing to risk a potential £35million plus on a striker of Van Persie’s age and with his injury record? It doesn’t matter that he’s nearly 30; he was arguably the best out-and-out striker in Europe last season. If Wenger didn’t want to sell, clubs would have had to cough up that sort of money.
But the length of his contract distorted the circumstance and however you frame the £24million, it could have been so much different. It feels like Groundhog Day again at the Emirates. Similarly with the Samir Nasri deal to Manchester City in 2011, no one can deny that £25million was a good bit of business. But yet again, it was dictated by his contract situation; Nasri had one-year left to run on his latest deal.
It remains to be seen what their North London rivals attain for their prized asset, but as we are seeing with Luka Modric’s protracted move away to Real Madrid, no one is pushing Spurs chairman Daniel Levy around. His philosophy has been to regularly top-up Spurs’ players with new deals when their stock has incrementally risen. You can’t prevent the likes of Modric and Van Persie from wanting to move, but you can ensure that the club remains in a degree of control. However you may critique their transfer activity, Spurs have ensured everything has been done to ensure they get maximum value out of their players.
But as Alex Song becomes the latest Arsenal player to jump ship, following his £15million move to Barcelona, it feels like something of a tipping point has emerged. Here was a player who, according to recent reports, showed a lack of professionalism in training towards the end of last term and the club has subsequently been happy to let him move on. But conflicting stories have suggested that Song was in fact, desperate to commit his future to the Gunners and his advisors initiated contact with the club in January, in the hope of renewing his £55,000-a-week deal that had three years left to run.
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It’s difficult to make a staunch analysis on such conflicting reports and who you believe will greatly determine what viewpoint you take on Song’s departure. As immoral as footballers wages may be, was Song really asking too much in looking for parity with the club’s top earners? A salary of £55k a week for a man who chipped in with 11 league assists as arguably Arsenal’s second most influential player last season, doesn’t seem particularly reflective with the rest of the market. Have Arsenal flogged a greedy, unprofessional player to Barcelona and avoided the next Nasri/Van Perise? Or is this transfer the legacy of having their fingers burnt for two summers on the trot?
The term watershed season is wheeled out a little too often this season, but it feels like it could definitely be slapped on Arsenal’s term this season. Arsene Wenger is trying to run the football club in the mould of sustainability, not reckless investment. But as important as it is to acquire new players, he equally needs to find a way to keep the ones he already has. Next up is Theo Walcott. Let’s hope the script isn’t already written.
How can Arsenal buck the departures of their finest players? Are the club right to not hand new contracts out like confetti or does something have to change quickly at the Emirates? Tell me how you see it on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me all your views.
Manchester United fans continue to pine for former player Wilfried Zaha after his latest superb performance for Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Scoring and assisting in a 5-0 home win against Leicester City, Zaha was again the architect of an excellent Palace display and supporters of the Red Devils appear eager to re-sign him.
The attacker has produced three man-of-the-match calibre performances in his last four appearances, scoring four and assisting another in that timeframe. His direct goal contribution for the season stands at 11.
He made just four appearances for Manchester United in an ill-fated spell at the club, but now he’s older, more experienced and a better player, should the Old Trafford side make another move for him?
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Fans certainly think so, believing he now has what it takes to make it in Jose Mourinho’s first team squad.
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They took to Twitter after his latest performance to share their thoughts…
The summer’s big transfer saga appears to be entering it’s final stages, despite the fact that the transfer window is yet to actually open!
Reports claim that Manchester City are ready to meet Liverpool’s £50m valuation – or pay close to it – for Raheem Sterling and with football experts such as the Times’ Tony Evans saying that a deal will “definitely” be done, all signs point to the 20-year-old heading away from Anfield.
Whether or not it’s the right move for the youngster or the correct way to go about things for Liverpool themselves, Brendan Rodgers is set to be landed with a big headache: what to do this summer?
Well, here are FIVE options for B-Rod…
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Alter to a 4-4-2…
Liverpool’s most successful period over the course of the past two seasons coincided with Rodgers’ move to a 4-4-2 with a narrow diamond midfield. Okay, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in top form would have made practically any formation look impressive, but the system also got the best out of the likes of Philippe Coutinho and works well with progressive full-backs such as Alberto Moreno.
The set-up is also less reliant upon wide attackers, and with Sterling’s best position being on the flank his impact will be least missed. Coutinho could be deployed in the ‘No.10’ behind a front two (Mario Balotelli even works well in a two-man attack) while the likes of James Milner, Emre Can and Jordan Henderson could make up the block of three behind.
Look to Jordon Ibe or Lazar Markovic…
Sterling is good, but he’s not irreplaceable. In fact, there is a belief among large sets of Reds supporters that Ibe is actually a more promising talent, and it’s easy to see the logic behind this. Okay, the former Wycombe Wanderers trainee is a little more raw, but he’s a more direct runner, more powerful on the ball and appears to have made the adaptation to Premier League football a little quicker than Sterling did. Ibe is a similar style of player to Sterling in terms of position (he can even play as a wing-back) making him a ready-made replacement.
Markovic – who will not be allowed to believe despite suggestions of a return to Benfica – is another option for Rodgers to consider, with a tough debut campaign likely to have helped the young Serbian no end. The ex-Partizan Belgrade man has been talked about as one of the best youngsters in Europe for a while, so there must be something there waiting to be extracted.
Sign a replacement…
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The beauty of a potential early sale – the transfer window hasn’t even officially opened yet – is that Liverpool will have plenty of time to draft in a replacement. Roberto Firmino of Hoffenheim appears to be a candidate at the moment, while speculation also suggests that the infamous botched transfer of January 2014 may be revived for Yevhen Konoplyanka – albeit he’ll be a free agent this time, so there will be no stubborn Ukrainian chairmen to deal with.
Do nothing
Is Sterling even vital? Can a 20-year-old truly be the key cog for a top side? Opinion is divided, but with Sterling having not truly done anything special for the Reds – what has he won? What has he really contributed to? – there is the chance to just carry on as if nothing has really happened. Signings could be made and players will need to fill in, but is there really any need for special measures?
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Dig in and keep him…
Okay, not exactly a ‘Sterling exit’ strategy, but Liverpool can just dig in. There is no release clause being spoken of, Sterling has two years to run on his contract and Liverpool have shown that they will not be bullied into selling in the past – The whole Luis Suarez ‘what are they smoking at the Emirates’ episode springs to mind.
Comments from the ever-lovable Aidy Ward seem to suggest that relations have completely broken down between club and player, but Sterling is in no position to go on strike. He’s unproven, needs to play to improve and has no chance of earning a massive transfer unless he continues to impress.
Darren Bent has indicated that he is keen to depart Aston Villa at the end of the season in order to secure first-team football.
Bent has been largely restricted to substitute appearances for Villa this season under boss Paul Lambert and the 29-year-old has admitted he may be forced to move on to pastures new at the end of the campaign.
“It is about playing and, at my age, I can’t have another season like this one,” he told the Daily Star. “Time is running out.
“I’m not really one of these guys who wants to sit there, not do anything and get paid.”
Bent has two years left on his current deal at Villa Park and it has been reported that the club are keen to recoup a “large portion” of the £24million they paid for his services in January 2011.
However, the likelihood is that Villa will have to accept a significant loss on a player who is clearly out-of-favour under Lambert and has barely featured since the turn of the year, with his last Premier League start coming in the home defeat to Newcastle in January.
Bent’s chances at Villa Park this season have been restricted by Christian Benteke but the forward believes he could have developed a deadly partnership with the Belgian star had he been given more opportunities over the course of the campaign.
“He was a big guy and it looked as if the partnership would form,” he added. “But it’s not meant to be. I don’t quite know why.”
It remains to be seen who will come in for Bent in the summer but the striker’s comments are likely to alert a number of potential suitors given his impressive scoring record in the Premier League.
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Fulham have been linked with Bent in the past but any move from the Cottagers could depend on whether or not they can keep hold of Dimitar Berbatov, who has been linked with a switch to Russia in recent weeks.
According to Sky Sports, Everton are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing £20m-rated Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson this summer.
What’s the word, then?
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Well, Sky Sports suggests that the 6ft 1in 25-year-old, who is the nephew of Boro owner Steve Gibson, is likely to be on his way out of the Riverside Stadium should they fail to clinch an immediate return to the Premier League – they currently lie in fifth position going into their penultimate match of the season at home to fellow promotion rivals Millwall on Saturday.
However, Sky Sports says he could stay if they do go up, although the interest from the Toffees, Leicester City and West Ham United could get serious whatever happens in the next couple of weeks.
How has Gibson done this season?
He has impressed, just like he did in the Premier League last term.
The Boro captain has played every minute of his side’s Championship campaign so far, with the Teesside outfit only conceding 43 times in their 44 league games prior to the visit of Millwall.
The 25-year-old is a leader and decent on the ball – he has a passing accuracy of 80.1% this season according to WhoScored.com – while he has shown his defensive qualities by making 259 clearances and winning 131 of the 227 aerial duels he has faced.
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Would he be a good signing for Everton?
It’s difficult to say.
The Toffees certainly do need a new centre-back this summer with Ashley Williams, whom fans on Twitter have had enough of, and Phil Jagielka getting on and Ramiro Funes Mori’s future seemingly uncertain, but whether a partnership of Michael Keane and Gibson at the heart of the defence would be good enough for what they want to achieve in the future is another matter.
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That said, with no European football on offer next season following a difficult campaign, the Merseyside outfit may not be able to attract the calibre of player they perhaps would have liked to this summer, unless they offer wages that those individuals can’t afford to reject.
While the 25-year-old could be a good addition at Goodison Park and would be accepted by the fans, it remains to be seen whether he is actually the club’s first-choice central defensive target, or not.
Replacing a long-serving manager is not an easy task and can have a substantial negative impact on a football club – just ask Manchester United.
Like the Old Trafford outfit and their task of filling Sir Alex Ferguson’s sizeable shoes, Arsenal have a similar unenviable task lying in wait.
Love him or loath him, Arsene Wenger has been a saving grace for Arsenal in his tenure in North London.
The experienced French coach will leave the Emirates Stadium as one of the club’s best ever managers, leading the Gunners to significant periods of success.
Although silverware has been light on the ground in recent campaigns, replacing Wenger given his track record and the nostalgic factors that surround the decision, is not something the Arsenal powers that be will relish.
Wenger has shown in the second half of this season that he still has what it takes to get the best from a group of Arsenal players that he has nurtured and hand-selected, with the North Londoners England’s form team.
But, the fact remains that the Frenchman is not getting any younger and looks set to be replaced in forthcoming years.
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For Arsenal, finding a manager that can take on the role and follow in his predecessor’s footsteps by staying with the club for a long period of time seems ideal.
As such Wenger’s replacement will ideally be loyal, ambitious, young and passionate.
Enter Jurgen Klopp.
The German head coach has announced his decision to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the current season and stated that he is ready for the next challenge in his managerial career.
Even before the ex-Mainz coach became available, he was one of the names consistently mentioned as having the attributes and potential to be Wenger’s successor.
Although the timing is less than ideal given Arsenal’s much-improved form in the second half of the current campaign, allowing Klopp to become a stalwart elsewhere could be a fatal error.
As such, accommodating the German seems like a canny move, even if Wenger oversees the club in a director of football role.
Another key reason why Arsenal should look to Klopp relates to player recruitment.
The Gunners have shown in the last couple of months that they have what it takes to fight for silverware and as such one or two top players of real quality is all that is needed this summer to make the Emirates Stadium outfit a real powerhouse.
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There is an argument to suggest that a top-notch central defender to replace Per Mertesacker and and a central midfielder of distinction could complete the package.
Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan would be ideal additions for Arsenal and have been linked consistently with the London club; securing Klopp as the new manager would play a massive role in the Germany internationals following him to England.
No-one likes change and a period of transition would follow, but appointing Klopp before another major European club does would be a decision to take Arsenal to the next level.
Regardless of how many West Ham United fans that may have been rejoicing about today’s news that the club’s Olympic Stadium dream is set to become a reality in the 2016/17 season, for Tottenham Hotspur supporters, it represents a very bitter pill to swallow indeed.
Superficially of course, the sight of seeing one of your London rivals handed a 99-year lease on a shiny new stadium – not to mention one that they once looked to acquire themselves – is enough on its own to merit a feeling of seething frustration.
Furthermore, the painful irony that all taxpaying Spurs fans will be in some small way funding the £60million that the government has fronted up to help turn the stadium into an arena fit for football has not been lost amongst the Lilywhites’ support.
But perhaps the most prominent feeling of distress isn’t within the potential benefits that West Ham will reap and to some extent, already have, out of the Olympic Stadium conversion. It’s more the pressing reality upon how desperately the club has to get their own stadium development under way.
There will be undoubted bitterness – not just amongst Spurs fans – but perhaps the greater footballing public, upon how a football club plying its trade in the richest professional league in the world, has just received a £60million foot-up from the taxpayer to help convert a stadium they already shelled out £428million to build in the first place.
Given the economic realities the country is facing up to, on face value Spurs supporters are going to find it hard to stomach the notion that while they struggle to find an estimated £400million for their own development project, West Ham are going to provide a mere initial £15miillion towards the conversion cost and a further £2million annual rent on the Olympic Stadium.
From a taxpaying perspective, the intricacies of the tenancy most certainly do concern those on the white half of North London, but from a sporting one, it matters very little to fans as to quite how successful they are. Because regardless of how many seats they do or don’t fill or how successful the implementation of retractable seating may or may not be, it’s not going to help them build their stadium any quicker. And that’s where the real issue lies.
Should West Ham United’s move to the Olympic Stadium be completed on schedule for the 2016/17 season, theoretically, the same campaign would also herald the full completion of Tottenham’s Northumberland Development Project. When The Mirror reported that the tender was set to go out for the main stadium element back in September, whispers were abound that the club may even be set to move into the partially completed structure for the 2015/16 term, with the completion date for the following season.
But as we head towards the end of the 2012/13 season, while the adjacent development to complete a supermarket, commercial and educational space towards the north of the stadium is well under way, not a single brick has yet to be laid on the stadium itself.
The onus within North London is that it is a matter of when, as opposed to if the stadium gets underway. But with Tottenham MP David Lammy recently stating that chairman Daniel Levy suggested Christmas as the earliest possible start date, hopes of a summer start already seem somewhat optimistic.
The complexities upon getting what it essentially a small regeneration project of the ground, ensures that the timescale for such a scheme is always going to require a level of patience that is something of an alien commodity within a sport that waits for no man.
To gauge an idea of quite what Spurs are looking to devise, you only need to look at the three years it is going to take West Ham to move into a stadium that’s already been constructed, once conversion has been completed and the several miles of red tape overcome.
By the same note, Tottenham are looking to build a new stadium on the footprint of their current one, make serious renovations to the surrounding infrastructure as well as dig up anything between £300-£400million to make it happen. If it felt like it took an awful long time to devise such a development, then putting it into practice is a completely different beast altogether.
But while the impatience that resides amongst some quarters of the Tottenham support towards the stadium project is unjust, the ever-growing financial chasm between themselves and the gentlemen in red down the road serves as a painful reminder to just how desperately the Lilywhites need to increase their matchday revenue.
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There is little more either Levy or anyone at Spurs can do to try and speed up the stadium development process, but with West Ham now set to be rehomed before themselves, it might not just be Arsenal that will give them cause for concern.
The Hammers might have to share hospitality revenue with the London Legacy Development Corporation, but with ticket revenue set to go straight to their own coffers, there is real capacity for them to start making some serious gains in the capital. They might not be able to sell out 54,000 seats as it is, but with their new stadium on the doorstep of one of the most well connected transport hubs in Europe, the capacity for growth is unprecedented.
Should work not begin till the New Year, the best Spurs can perhaps hope for in terms of making their own strives towards matchday revenue, now looks like an entry into a semi complete White Hart Lane for the 2016/17 campaign. Any later, and the race to play catch-up with those around becomes increasingly more difficult.