Marc Cucurella confirms stance on Chelsea future
Marc Cucurella confirms his feelings towards his Chelsea future.
2023-07-19 19:16
Arteta urges Arsenal to embrace 'battle' to end Everton curse
Mikel Arteta has warned his Arsenal stars they will only end their Everton curse if they are willing to put their bodies on the line...
2023-09-15 23:56
Bills reporter caught talking smack about Stefon Diggs on hot mic
A Buffalo Bills reporter was caught speaking out about Stefon Diggs on a hot mic, and they were not kind.
2023-09-15 02:25
Rantanen has goal, 3 assists as Avalanche beat Islanders 7-4 for record 15th straight road win
Mikko Rantanen scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and had three assists as the Colorado Avalanche beat the New York Islanders 7-4 for their NHL-record 15th straight road win
2023-10-25 11:26
Mikel Arteta insists there is 'no ceiling' for Martin Odegaard after signing new Arsenal contract
Mikel Arteta reacts to Martin Odegaard's new Arsenal contract.
2023-09-22 19:47
Keshad Johnson helps No. 3 Arizona beat Southern 97-59 after slow start
Keshad Johnson scored a career-high 17 points and No. 3 Arizona used a 17-0 run spanning halftime to pull away for a 97-59 win over Southern
2023-11-14 11:56
No. 4 Florida State beats No. 15 Louisville 16-6 for ACC title, but could miss playoff at 13-0
Florida State made things as difficult as possible on the College Football Playoff selection committee, using a dominant defensive performance to beat No. 15 Louisville 16-6 on Saturday night for the fourth-ranked Seminoles’ first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 2014
2023-12-03 13:17
Bryan Rust makes sure his second OT goal counts as Penguins defeat Kings 4-3
After having a goal waved off in overtime, Bryan Rust quickly made sure it didn’t happen twice
2023-11-10 14:50
Harry Kane saga leaves Tottenham paying the price for Daniel Levy’s ‘ego’ — again
Earlier this summer, when there was still the feeling that Manchester United might come in for Harry Kane, it was put to one figure at the club that Bayern Munich were very confident of getting him. "They have no experience of dealing with Daniel Levy," came the response. The German champions have since found out the very hard way. Extremely late on in the Kane deal, just as the player was about to board the plane, negotiations were ongoing with Tottenham about the make-up of the final figures. Levy has long been insistent that 80 percent of the overall package should be guaranteed and the total fee should come to £120 million. This has made many people in the football industry roll their eyes, but it all reflects how the chairman has long divided Tottenham fans. The cries of "Levy out" and "get out of our club" grew louder and louder last season, in that gleaming new stadium. Those who back him, and have admittedly been the far quieter party lately, would point to how he has gradually built the club from a glamorous but under-performing name to one of the Premier League's "super clubs" with the best infrastructure in Europe. They were included in the Super League, after all. Levy is clearly adept at long-term macro business strategy. Those who criticise him, and many of the fans would not even give him the credit for the business side, say this is constantly undercut by a short-term misunderstanding of football. The entire Kane saga has almost encapsulated all of this. While Levy may get the maximum price, it could come at the cost of being able to prepare properly from a purely football perspective. That is far from the first time that has been said. As one figure involved in negotiations said, "it's almost impossible to get a star out of Spurs much before 31 August". It was similar with Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and now - the one the club and fans value above all of them - Kane. Levy seeks to get absolutely everything out of the deal, cranking up the pressure as he himself remains unmoved. Carrick once explained exactly what that was like. The midfielder was in a similar position to Kane in the summer of 2016, when he felt he had to leave for Manchester United to fulfil his talent. Carrick got so frustrated with Levy's refusal to deal with the Old Trafford hierarchy, though, that he decided to call the Spurs chairman himself. The repeated message back was simple. “Well, they need to pay the money,” Levy said. “It was all about the money for Daniel, just driving the price up and up,” Carrick wrote in his autobiography. “Arguing with Daniel was pointless. I would have got more joy talking to a brick wall.” Carrick appealed again, and got the same response again. “Well, they need to pay the money.” Bayern are finding similar. A big question is whether this singular approach becomes self-defeating, especially when viewed from the other side. Those who know Mauricio Pochettino say that he still has huge regrets that he didn't make his Spurs the force that Liverpool became, and puts it down to a refusal by the club to properly spend in 2017-18. The two clubs were then at a similar level but that was the point when Jurgen Klopp went big on Alisson and Virgil van Dijk. Pochettino had requested some of the names that Liverpool wanted - including Sadio Mane - but Levy felt it was better to build in a sustainable way, with an emphasis on youth. The paths diverged. Liverpool went on to win the title and the Champions League, beating Spurs in the final. While Spurs went stale and Pochettino was eventually sacked. So many involved feel that it was a huge missed opportunity, that in large part came from Levy's failure to understand there are key points when teams need further investment to reap much more. There was a similar theme with Spurs’ sales. The Argentine had felt as early as 2017 that the team needed an overhaul and that it could actually be damaging to keep players around because of that danger of staleness. Levy insisted on huge prices for those like Danny Rose, though, and never got them. The team never refreshed. It almost represented a classic false economy. Those who defend Levy - and there are many in the game - would insist that is because he simply has to take an even longer-term view. The proof is in how Spurs have grown, and that stadium. Sources involved in the Super League say it was his business acumen that got Spurs into it since other executives wanted him but not the club. This is the contrast that feeds into how divisive he is. Levy gets the business side. He doesn't get the football side. This can become an issue when, as many sources say, he gets so hands-on in deals. The three immediate successors to Pochettino were all bad appointments, that just didn't fit with what Spurs were. They represented deviations from the club's philosophy. A perception has been that Levy got too distracted by big names - especially Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte - forgetting what Spurs were. A place for up-and-coming players and managers to make their name; since they are not yet in that truly elite bracket of clubs. Others in football who are more critical of Levy would go even further. They say a lot of this is about "ego"; that he needs to be involved; that he needs to get the best deals. A common view is this can be self-defeating for Spurs, because it affects football preparation. Take the Kane negotiations, to come full circle. Levy has long been adamant that he absolutely does not want to sell to an English club, because they are Spurs' competitors. That has long put off United, who just didn't want to get into protracted and frustrated negotiations with Levy again. But what has that resulted in? Had Spurs accepted the reality, which is that they are a level below United, they could have generated an auction that brought even more money. That's how valuable Kane is. Bayern will have to pay the price. The wonder is whether it also comes at some cost to Spurs and not just because they're losing one of their all-time greats. Follow all the latest on our Premier League transfers live blog Read More Fantasy Premier League: 30 players you must consider for 2023/24 season Premier League LIVE: Harry Kane ‘stopped on way to Stansted airport’ as Bayern Munich move halted Premier League 2023/24 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich move in doubt after Tottenham last-minute U-turn Premier League record scorers: How many goals do Alan Shearer and Harry Kane have? Premier League LIVE: Kane to Bayern hit by delay and transfer updates
2023-08-11 19:16
Uruguay prepares to celebrate first Under-20 World Cup title
Uruguay on Monday prepared to welcome home their latest, and long-awaited, world champions, as the under-20 team headed home after winning their...
2023-06-12 23:24
Angels star Ohtani has torn elbow ligament, won't pitch again this season
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani won't pitch again this Major League Baseball season after being diagnosed with...
2023-08-24 23:47
Virginia Bettors Get $350 GUARANTEED By Betting Just $6 on DraftKings and Bet365 With Limited-Time Promos!
I have excellent news for Virginia bettors hoping to score a HUGE cash today, as DraftKings and Bet365 both have spectacular promos available for new users that'll give you a GUARANTEED $350 by only betting $6! Even if you lose, you're still getting $350 in bonus bets!Find out below ho...
2023-05-29 18:29
You Might Like...
Marcus Stroman's latest contribution to Cubs should finally earn him his extension
Unhappy ending for Hollywood stars Reynolds, McElhenney and Jackman as Wrexham loses league opener
Rooney still pointless after third defeat as Birmingham boss
Wimbledon Day 10: Quarter-finals guide
Braves place OF Hilliard on IL with bruised heel, return Rosario to lineup
Real Madrid teammate sums up Jude Bellingham impact with one word
Dak Prescott Already Suffering From Tipped Interceptions at Training Camp
Browns QB Deshaun Watson still out with right shoulder injury, can't put timeline on return to field
