What do these Spurs transfer sagas suggest about Daniel Levy’s impact? – part 3

It is not inaccurate to say that the Bulgarian was a cult hero at White Hart Lane. He took a long time to settle in the Premier League, but once he had done so, his quality was undeniable. Berbatov scored four of Spurs’ six in a memorable 6-4 win over Reading in the 2007/08 season. Nevertheless, it did not come as much surprise when the Bulgarian was heavily linked with a move elsewhere, either to Manchester City or to Manchester United.

Levy’s role in this deal cost Spurs hugely. Former United chief executive David Gill called it a ‘nightmare’, as the deal was finally struck at midnight on deadline day, thereby preventing Spurs from getting a replacement in time. They had to settle for Frazier Campbell, who scored three times in 22 games during his loan spell. Levy may have extracted just over £30 million for his star player, but due to the timing of the transaction, was unable to bring in anyone to fill the sizeable gap that Berbatov had left. Had the chairman accepted one of United’s earlier bids – which Gill said were around £29 million; a whole two weeks earlier, Spurs would have been in a much better position going forwards.

It is important to point out here that Berbatov’s departure was inevitable. There was no hope of keeping the Bulgarian star at White Hart Lane, so any deal struck had to be maximised. In this case, it must be questioned whether or not the extra million or so gained by delaying the transfer was worth it. Campbell’s failed loan spell, combined with a drop in team morale after Berbatov refused to play – both of which played a part in Spurs’ eventual 8th place finish in the league – suggests that the delays in letting Berbatov go were just not worth it.

Going back further still, however, and the sale of Michael Carrick is one that Levy must be lauded for. Carrick arrived at Spurs from local rivals West Ham in the summer of 2004, for a fee of around £3.5 million. After two strong seasons at White Hart Lane, mainly under the direction of Martin Jol, Spurs were able to extract just shy of £20 million for Carrick from Manchester United, making him the sixth most expensive player to sign for The Red Devils at the time – now the 17th.

The deal was completed at the end of July, in 2006, and Levy received praise for making so much profit as well as getting a deal done with time to bring in new signings for the following season. The cash was also then used wisely, paying for the signing of the aforementioned Dimitar Berbatov, as well as useful additions like Steed Malbranque and the Egyptian Mido, both of whom had successful spells at White Hart Lane. The season eventually culminated in a 5th place finish, with Berbatov top scorer.

Ignoring the club’s inability to hold onto their best players – a threat that may have finally been lifted in the modern day given the team spirit installed by Mauricio Pochettino and the rest of his coaching staff – and Levy’s actions here resulted in the best possible outcome. Carrick went on to win titles and trophies at Manchester United, which from a Spurs perspective he cannot be resented for, as the North Londoners were never going to contest the league at that time. However, securing the backbone of the squad by doing business early, which he did with the selling of Carrick, was definitely an astute manoeuvre, and ultimately Spurs’ position in the league that year reflected how well they acted in the transfer window.