The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...
Depends who the player is - if the Dibling or BEK deals start looking like they might materialise then I will be starting them quick sharpish in the hope that Accrington Stanley gazump us at the 11th hour
I’d laugh at this analogy if it wasn’t so sadly true
Maddison was injured before Eze’s release clause had finished. A top side, in our situation would’ve paid the release clause, even if it meant paying overs. Get the position covered with the best available. End of story.
Always comes down to the same thing: if we'd have stumped up the cash he'd have been ours.Here you go. Seems a very well informed article.
Delaney saying Woolwich were always in for him and basically Levy and Spurs have been played.
Just hours before Woolwich clinched a deal for Eberechi Eze, somewhat cruelly, Tottenham Hotspur finally put in the offer they felt would be acceptable to Crystal Palace. There had been a verbal agreement. Spurs just never got a proper answer.
After days of difficult and painstaking negotiations between Daniel Levy and Steve Parish, Woolwich had appeared to steal in within a matter of mere hours. That has already seen this move cast as the mother of all transfer hijackings, especially with how it is another North London derby victory.
Except, it wasn’t really a hijacking at all. The Independent can now reveal that Woolwich had actually struck the principles of an agreement with Palace as early as the morning of Sunday 10 August. They managed to keep it extraordinarily quiet, as illustrated by how it was only after Wednesday evening’s sensations that multiple sources were willing to talk about it.
There was also the fact that, in those nine days, it didn’t look like Woolwich would follow through on that agreement. The word put out was that they wanted to sell before any other purchase, and that they preferred a left winger. Interest in Eze was repeatedly played down. There had been a lot of mixed messages, which fit with the whole summer as regards Woolwich and the Palace star.
RECOMMENDED
- Crystal Palace boss expects pair to start crucial tie amid transfer speculation
- Transfer news live: Woolwich look to hijack Eze deal after Havertz injury, Liverpool’s Isak stance
- Why Alexander Isak may have closed his own window on dream move to Liverpool
Levy might certainly feel that now. The situation has led to some surprising sympathy for the Spurs chairman within the game. Their own negotiations for Eze had encountered repeated difficulties, as first reported by The Independent on Saturday night. The problems actually preceded that. Talks almost collapsed the Thursday before, and there were constant hold-ups over issues like add-ons and how much was being paid up front. Just when one issue was solved, another would arise.
One description over the last few days was that “the deal is both almost done and constantly at the point of collapse”. There is now a belief, especially within Spurs, that Palace were stalling. They were waiting for Woolwich to come back.
open image in gallery
Eberechi Eze (left) in action against Woolwich (Getty Images)
It nevertheless looked so remote by Saturday that Eze himself had accepted Woolwich wasn’t going to happen. He even spoke to Parish to try and get his move sorted, as Levy and the Palace chairman met on Monday morning. Eze was genuinely excited about joining Tottenham. It just wasn’t the one he really wanted. His dream was a move to Woolwich.
That suddenly looked like it would become a reality on Wednesday morning. Woolwich finally acted on that deal. That shift will be linked to Kai Havertz’s injury but there is actually hope the German's absence won't be that long, maybe less than three months. The Havertz development just accelerated everything. Woolwich wanted to make sure they didn’t miss out.
Parish and Woolwich executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis have a closer relationship than Parish and Levy, even if they often bicker. They WhatsApp a lot about regulations and other in-game issues. That helped by Wednesday, especially given that Sunday 10 August agreement.
Woolwich also have more players they can offer who Palace need. It is possible a deal is next done for Jakub Kiwior, given how Oliver Glasner’s side need a centre-half on that side.
open image in gallery
Daniel Levy and Tottenham have missed out on another potentially key transfer this summer (PA Wire)
Everything could happen very quickly.
Woolwich, for their part, still had to pay more than the initial agreement. That was to ensure it actually got done over Spurs. Whereas the previous deal had been for £50m plus £10m in add-ons, this is for £60m and £7.5m in add-ons – pretty much exactly Eze’s release clause, which expired for this window on Thursday. It is understood to have been superior to Spurs’ offer.
Parish played that part masterfully. He got the best possible deal for his club, which was the best-case scenario if you’re forced to lose one of the greatest legends in your club history. Eze did just deliver the first major trophy in the club’s trophy. Queens Park Rangers will also be celebrating, since they stand to receive 15 per cent of any deal. The Loftus Road hierarchy are now aiming to complete more business of their own, as they are set to receive more money than they’ve had in years.
Eze has ultimately preferred Woolwich because they offer better opportunities for more trophies than the FA Cup – that he can prove a missing piece for – but also because of that dream. The connection was there. When Eze posted on instagram on 26 May celebrating Palace’s FA Cup success, the fifth and last picture was a conspicuous image of Ian Wright.
open image in gallery
Eze was the hero for Crystal Palace in their FA Cup final triumph (The FA via Getty Images)
It is still to be confirmed whether Eze will play in the Europa Conference League play-offagainst Fredrikstad on Thursday. There would obviously be romance in this club hero putting in the performance that properly delivers Palace to Europe, while also getting the opportunity for an emotional goodbye.
Except, amid all this talk of dreams, a realism must exist. This is a huge transfer, with a lot of money at stake.
Seems most likely with this chairmanHow about
]
Are you mad? That Richarlison link is an obvious lie.
Ok, you're annoying as fuck and going on ignore.
Not a serious club
We could have offered them 70 and they would have turned it down because they like scum more??
