Evertonian Holtby to Join Spurs

, 4 January, 72comments  |  Jump to most recent
Tottenham Hotspur have announced that the Germany midfielder Lewis Holtby will join the club on a free transfer when his Schalke contract expires in the summer, subject to a medical.

The 22-year-old, who has an English father and is an Everton supporter, had attracted interest from Arsenal but André Villas-Boas has secured his signature on a pre-contract agreement with six months remaining on his current deal. Holtby is highly regarded in Germany after captaining the Under-21 side and earning three caps at senior level.

Everton apparently showed no interest in making what could have been a free signing, despite his announced allegiance to the club through his father, Chris Holtby, who served in the military.  



Reader Comments (72)

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Stuart Mitchell
1 Posted 04/01/2013 at 16:11:44
Signed for Spurs on a Free.

Joining in July. How did we miss out on this one?

Matt Traynor
2 Posted 04/01/2013 at 17:57:57
Were we ever officially linked to him? I can't recall seeing anything suggesting we even spoke to his agent.
Bill Griffiths
3 Posted 04/01/2013 at 17:58:16
So much for him being a big Arsenal and Everton fan.
Denis Richardson
4 Posted 04/01/2013 at 18:50:57
I'm surprised he's signed already given he could have waited until May to see who actually makes it to the CL for next season.
Trevor Lynes
5 Posted 04/01/2013 at 20:17:42
FFS, every time another club shows interest in a playe,r EFC drop out of the bidding.

When was the last time we got a player when any other club were after him ??

No competition for Fellaini, Heitinga, Gueye, Jelavic, Mirallas, Drenthe, Hitzlsperger, Mucha, Hahnemann, McFadden, Oviedo, Gibson etc etc etc. We regularly wait until the last minute and pick from the scraps.

We are charity shop shoppers or maybe Poundland sometimes. We sell our main assets and try to shore up from hand me downs. That is why DM is long overdue for some backing to bring in reinforcements to sustain our top 4 challenge.

Brendan McLaughlin
6 Posted 04/01/2013 at 20:21:20
Stuart #262
"Signed for Spurs on a Free. How did we miss out on this one"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a clue in there somewhere....five letters, begins & ends with S.
Kevin Tully
7 Posted 04/01/2013 at 20:44:42
Behave lads, we had all this shite with Arshavin — we don't even know if we tried to sign Holtby, so please stop with all this made up "missed out" bollocks.
Kieran Fitzgerald
8 Posted 04/01/2013 at 20:51:58
Fair point, Kevin. He passes some fluffy remark about liking Everton and that automatically means that we all think we have tried to sign him. To be honest though, I fall for this train of thought myself sometimes.
Drew O'Neall
9 Posted 04/01/2013 at 20:51:00
We could have afforded 70k a week with no transfer fee... It would have been just like paying for him on tick.. I wonder how much the lump sum signing on fee was.. Couple mil? A mil for the agent?
Ian Bennett
10 Posted 04/01/2013 at 20:59:00
Drew — look at the Demba Ba and Chamakh deals, frees are not frees. £3m signing on fee here, £2m agent fee there, release clause etc etc etc.
Phil Sammon
11 Posted 04/01/2013 at 21:17:32
Bugger
Stephen Thomas
12 Posted 04/01/2013 at 21:35:12
Why we never tried is beyond me, another blue go,s. elsewhere. Getting fed up with this every transfer window.
Tom Dodds
13 Posted 04/01/2013 at 21:40:19
Well that's exactly what happens when one club's got a chairman with money.... And, in our case, a complete snake -oil selling chancer with his grubby hands stuck in the jar surrounded by billionaires in the other.
Spew it, Kenwright.
Andrew Flanagan
14 Posted 04/01/2013 at 21:52:10
Holtby seems to have become a bit of an obsession for Everton fans. The question is why would we expect a player to come to Everton based on them being a fan? On that logic we should be signing that Walters lad from Stoke etc. Holty was always going to be out of our reach in terms of wages and what he wanted from a new club e.g. European competition. For a player most us fans have only seen on Youtube the fanfare around this transfer has been a bit silly.
Si Cooper
15 Posted 04/01/2013 at 21:56:28
Don't mind being outbid, but if we didn't even ask then it seems very strange.

Perhaps Moyes just doesn't rate him?

Will be interested to see how he does next season.

James Martin
16 Posted 04/01/2013 at 22:00:21
After all this time do we still not trust Moyes on these sort of things? If Moyes just bought people on the basis that he was a boyhood blue what sort of team would we have. Nugent upfront instead of Jelavic maybe. If the lad had wanted to come, and Moyes wanted him, and we could have afforded it then he would of. One of these three things is missing, no reason to bemoan the one that got away with this one.
Lyndon Lloyd
17 Posted 04/01/2013 at 22:13:57
No idea how accurate it is but the rumour is that Holtby will be on £75k a week at Spurs (and who knows what kind of signing bonus).

Assuming Moyes was even interested in him — and there is no evidence I've seen to suggest he was — that would put a 22 year-old, hitherto untried in the Premier League, right at our wage ceiling. Pretty much a non-starter, I would think.

Spurs like to collect midfielders and use them as bench warmers so let's see how the lad gets on down there — who knows, he may end up at somewhere like Everton on loan a year from now!

Andrew James
18 Posted 04/01/2013 at 22:17:10
I can understand exactly why we haven't attempted to bring Holtby in. From reports I have heard, he's a "No. 10" as they now call it or, more simply, the creative player behind the front man.

We already have one of the best players in the Premiership playing in that role. We have an England international who can play a similar role and, more pertinently, a 19 yr old who looks like a natural "No. 10" who Moyes has been seeing for years.

Mirallas can also play there and potentially Pienaar. It's not the most urgent position that needs filling. Signings, whether free or otherwise, will be of strikers, defensive midfielders and centre backs (although the former might not be such a problem if Mirallas and Anichebe could avoid injuries) The second is definitely an issue because Gibson seems to be made of glass and Neville will retire one day.

Dick Fearon
19 Posted 04/01/2013 at 21:35:32
Drew @366, You forgot to mention the deciding factor of a little bung.
James Flynn
20 Posted 04/01/2013 at 22:28:53
Lyndon (392) - Well said and that's that. We never had the gelt to compete for his service.

A professional in any field will tilt towards who will pay the most for his service. Holtby to Everton was always a non-starter.

Steven Telford
21 Posted 04/01/2013 at 22:48:34
Andrew #397, I think its very straight forward as to why we could think he would play for Everton because he is an Everton fan............
Whoever he plays for he will be super rich for life, why not choose the team you supposedly support. Add to that that we are a team who are at this moment, I would say, actually better than spurs. Add further that our squad size likely means you will get to play first team football.

Anyway, another once a blue always a blue shows that their true colour is green.

Si Cooper
22 Posted 04/01/2013 at 23:18:28
James (#389) - only want to bring in 'boyhood blues' if they are good enough quality, no need for the silly comparisons.

Lyndon (#392) - could we have got him for less? No one knows if we didn't even ask.

Andrew (#397) - are you sure that all of those players will be available for the team next season and can you guarantee that they can do the job better than Holtby (the manager should always be looking to improve the quality of the squad if he can)? Osman is likely to get slower, Fellaini could do a job further back (where we lack resources), and Mirallas is our best best for a right wing threat. Which 19 year old do we have that is guaranteed to be in the manager's starting eleven next season? I can't think of one. Holtby could improve us as a team for potentially the next 5 years.

Steven (#407) - don't get your last comment? If we showed no interest how is he mercenary for taking a good offer from a team that has properly broken into the top four last season and this, has a very good squad, etc,etc?

Andrew James
23 Posted 04/01/2013 at 23:20:55
@ Steven 407

He's an Everton fan but might just prefer the idea of living in London. The table also doesn't tell you that we are better than Spurs. Plus, there is no evidence to suggest we even asked him.

We all dream as fans of one day being in the great position where we, as players, would have the opportunity to turn down Man Utd in favour of Everton. But sentiment doesn't come into it. The only three examples I can think of where a player turned down other clubs because they had blue sentiments are Gary Speed (RIP), Alan Stubbs and Leighton Baines. Admittedly Baines is meant to have been a red so his sentiment was more to the city. Stubbsy was a player we should have bought years before but instead we shelled out for Craig Short (?!) from Derby!

I understand completely your point but it's easy for us to judge them. They have short careers and are surrounded by parasites. My immediate reaction, if I was a player, would be to sack my agent and represent myself thus meaning I was on a nice but not stupendous wage from EFC and use the money wisely.

And that's why Duncan Ferguson, with that tattoo, always makes me smile! His love for Everton is the same as ours.

Sean McCarthy
24 Posted 04/01/2013 at 23:40:42
I think some are getting ahead yourselves.....
Once a blue etc etc... How many times has he ever been to Goodison? Not many I guess.

So I guess it's a bit like me being a Barcelona fan. I love to watch them on TV but that's as far as my affinity goes so I won't be losing sleep if the never come knocking ony door. Plus we can't afford him. Simple as that really.
Matt Traynor
25 Posted 04/01/2013 at 23:47:41
We were never in for him, so this hand-wring is all pretty pointless.

Someone mentioned on another thread about this very same subject that McManaman turned down the chance to play for us when he returned from Real Madrid as he didn't want to run the risk of not living up to the expectations (I'm paraphrasing).

No, I think the fact he was shite at City suggests if he turned in the same dismal performances in Everton's colours, the fact he spent his formative years over the park would suddenly rear it's head. Football fans are nothing if not predictable.

Andrew James
26 Posted 04/01/2013 at 23:42:22
@ Si 417

You mention Osman's pace. He's never had any so him getting slower won't exactly limit his game. His pace is in his feet and in his brain, not in his legs.

While we cling onto Fellaini, there's absolutely no point using him further back unless injuries force it. He's scored 8 goals from where we play him now and is highly likely to pass into double figures. He has destroyed some teams because he's "unplayable". Why on earth would we move him for a kid from a league many believe to be inferior to the Premiership?

That 19 yr old is Ross Barkley. Yes, on one hand, I'm not sure he will be starting regularly next season but, on the other, a good pre season and you never know.

And along with all of that, what would gurantee Holtby being in our first 11? If the midfield is fit and ready, he would most likely be benched.

Yes, the manager should be strengthening the squad when he can but at the right price. An awful lot of people seem to have presumed a lot about a kid playing in Germany for 18 months just because his Dad supports Everton.

Barry Rathbone
27 Posted 04/01/2013 at 23:58:16
We've got no money.
Andrew James
28 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:05:52
@ Barry 423

You've summed what I've been trying to say more or less. We don't have any money so we won't be getting into further debt by being overly frivolous. (Something which Spurs will always be)

Harold Matthews
29 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:06:32
Ossie needs to get more pace into his shooting. Pienaar too.

Whats up with these guys? Messi and Defoe are small but they shoot rockets.

Si Cooper
30 Posted 04/01/2013 at 23:58:38
Andy, Leon Osman will get (even) slower and at a point that will affect his ability to perform successfully in the middle of the park. His duties extend beyond what he does with the ball at his feet. Neither of us can predict when that will be, but you are the one saying we definitely wouldn't have been better recruiting Lewis Holtby.

You are presupposing that the team wouldn't work better if Fellaini was bossing the centre of the field and Holtby was setting up Jelavic and chipping in with some of his own. Fellaini would still get his share from set-pieces and joining the attack later. There is also the big question mark hanging over whether Fellaini will still be with us next season. Assuming he is, we still have doubts over the long-term availability Darron Gibson and have yet to recruit anyone to share the burden in that regard (please don't mention Phil Neville, I am lookong at ways our midfield could be improved, not stay as they are now).

Another big question mark belongs next to Ross Barkley. Will his game develop sufficiently / is he one of Moyes types of players or is he destined to spend years on the bench? Holtby is 22, performing consistently in the Bundesliga and a German international. There is a lot more reason to think Holtby could have been the one pulling the strings just behind the striker than to assume that Ross will ready for next season.

So to sum up, you have blithely dismissed as not needed a young player who may have added quality to our midfield just to stick with what we have now, whereas I am wondering whether we could have had an even more effective team, with more options, or at the least covered ourselves against players transferring out, running out of steam, suffering chronic injury problems, or taking a bit longer to fulfil their potential.

One is called forward planning, the other is crossing your fingers that nothing goes wrong.

Si Cooper
31 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:22:30
Overly frivolous!!!! International players on frees should at least be looked at, ffs.
Andrew James
32 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:27:58
Si - you seem to be ignoring the point many have made and I tried to make.

Spurs can pay a lot more than us! Did you not notice the Pienaar transfer saga?

If Holtby goes to Spurs and is their midfield dynamo next season, I will bow to your superior knowledge.

And it would be overly frivolous if his wage demands were high (I BET THEY WERE)

This debate is pointless because we didn't show for him and I trust David Moyes more than the likes of us.

Robbie Shields
33 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:24:24
Andrew #421, are you seriously trying to tell us that when the Neville and Osman are both fit Holtby wouldn't be able to get in the team??????? Hang on, you might have a point there, Barkley can't get in can he.

Which ever way you look at it this is a fuck up, we could live to regret this just like we had to live with the regret of Gordon Lee passing up Ian Rush because he was't big enough to play in the first division, or Fowler, Mcmanaman, Owen, Carragher.

Fuck up, fuck up, fuck up!!!!

Some of the defense of Moyes and Kenwright on here beggars belief sometimes.

Andrew James
34 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:37:36
@ Robbie - I'm not defending BK because in an ideal world we could bring in the Holtby's of this world. But we cannot. So I won't defend BK but I will DM.

He's got a limited budget and he knows his squad better than we do. So he knows which positions need strengthening and the price to pay.

AGAIN - people are making a lot of presumptions about Holtby. On Radio5Live tonight they were saying it would be a big step up for him.

We'll see. Can we talk about this again in January 2014?

Derek Williams
35 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:43:19
Robbie (439), the defense of DM is probably down to the fact that he's the best manager we've had since Kendall. Oh and we're also bloody lucky to have him too.

There's not a manager in history who didn't sign a pup or who missed an opportunity to sign a jewel but Moyes's track record is as good as anyone's.

I'd take the direct opposite tack to yours - some of the CRITICISM of Moyes on here beggars belief.

Andrew James
36 Posted 05/01/2013 at 00:53:25
@ Robbie

When did I mention Neville? He's a utility player who happens to be our captain.

BTW - you forgot to mention the other FUCK UPS the club made when they brought in Jeffers, Ball and Rooney. Three players who probably stopped us going into adminstration when we sold 'em and, in the case of the latter, Rush aside, he's won more than all three of your examples.

How angry would you be if Rooney had ended up at the RS?

Si Cooper
37 Posted 05/01/2013 at 01:14:14
Andrew (#438) - we know what he is reported to be set to get at Spurs, what we don't know is whether he would had signed for us for less because, apparently, we didn't even try.

Okay it would be unusual for a player to forego an outrageous sum of money for something as tenuous as an emotional attachment to a particular club, but that doesn't mean it is impossible either.

As I said earlier, don't mind being out-bid but do mind if we didn't even try (unless the manager thinks he wouldn't improve the team). I do understand that we have to be careful with our resources and have immediate priorities, but I really hope we haven't been short-sighted in this regard..

I like Ossie but he has his deficiencies and will not last forever, have a hankering for Mirallas to stay out wide, have some concerns that Felli's advanced role doesn't suit all our players as well as another set-up might (and think we may need a plan B anyway for a variety of reasons), and although I am hopeful for Ross, I wouldn't put my mortgage on him running games next season.

Tony J Williams
38 Posted 05/01/2013 at 01:15:56
Robbie, how often have you watched Holtby play? You seem convinced that somehow a player who is probably out of our pay scale and who has never played a minute in the Premiership will be some sort of superstar.

How is it a fuck up? Moyes didn't want him and couldn't afford him if he did.

Andrew James
39 Posted 05/01/2013 at 01:29:15
@ Si

The areas you talk about make sense but I suspect Moyes, as you say, thinks he wouldn't improve the team or has something else planned.

Personally I think we might have another midfielder coming in for a lot cheaper...

I don't disagree Holtby might have improved the squad but we are not City or Chelski. That said, City seem to have stopped spending in the top end of the market.

Si Cooper
40 Posted 05/01/2013 at 01:38:11
You can't leave it like that Andrew. Who and for how much? Loans for the rest of this season don't count because Holtby wouldn't have arrived until the summer (I am presuming any signing on fee wouldn't be activated until then as well).

A decent midfielder (long-term prospect) will cost us at least £40 grand a week. Even if we are not buying now an eventual permanent deal will cost something even if his contract has run down in the mean-time (the fee will be agreed before the loan starts.

If it is Vadis Odjidja Ofoe you are thinking of, I am concerened that nothing has apparently happened yet. If it is a done deal then why not announce it, if they are waiting for some reason (such as raising funds from elsewhere) then it could always be gazumped in the mean-time. Basically, I don't believe we have any guaranteed deals done yet, and consequentially we could end up with nothing.

Andrew James
41 Posted 05/01/2013 at 01:51:54
Si - as you seemed determined not to let this rest...

We have no money. I was trying to end on a hopeful note given that DM tends to surprise us during transfer windows. I suspect Vadis might be that player. If not, I will be disappointed. Although I hear he has a few fitness issues?

But on day 4 of the 31 days in the window, I think it's a little knee jerk for us to get depressed. We, like many, tend to do our business in the last few days. I will be angry, like you and Robbie above seem to be, if we've done nothing come January 31st!

Anthony Jaras
42 Posted 05/01/2013 at 01:52:56
Hang on, important question here;

DID WE EVEN GO FOR LEWIS HOLTBY?

If we did, show me the evidence.

If you can't, stop playing Football Manager and grow up!

Andrew James
43 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:05:04
@ Anthony

People from Widnes are...oh hang on...wasn't that someone else a few weeks back?

Good point mate and I'm tired!

Si Cooper
44 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:03:08
I am not angry, Andrew, just a little perplexed and concerned. I fully expected us to sit down and talk to this lad. If it didn't then come to aught all well and good, these things happen.

Currently there are stories abounding that the manager has gone cap in hand to the board and his signing of a new contract is apparently dependent on whether they are matching his ambition.

I wish I could be all optimistic and looking forward to this transfer window like a kid looking forward to Christmas. Unfortunately I have seen too much disappointment at EFC to not scrutinize what we don't do (when it looks like a decent opportunity) as much as what we do.

Who are you expecting? Don't keep me in suspense.

Si Cooper
45 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:12:32
Sorry Andrew, you had said VOO.

Wouldn't worry about his fitness if his attitude is okay (yeah, the two could be linked). Sounds a bit like excuses being made before we don't sign him.

Unless he is prepared to live up with to our managers expectations when it comes to fitness, Moyes won't want him and he won't fancy coming. If he is up for the challenge (and is currently struggling because he is frustrated his career hasn't gone where he hoped it would in the summer) then he will soon be fitter than he has been in his life before.

Still don't think we will get him for a song though.

Andrew James
46 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:13:05
Si - I certainly wasn't expecting much from January other than selling Johnny, buying someone for the same, bringing in some kid for nothing and a couple of loans.

If we keep Fellaini and Baines, I will be happy.

And I've seen loads of disappointment being an Everton fan but I occasionally hope for more under Moyes.

Chin up hey?

Si Cooper
47 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:25:55
Anthony (#457), that is the very question some of us were actually discussing.

It sort of leads naturally into 'if not, why not?'

Which then leads to discussions about whether we could have got him for less than Spurs are paying and, most importantly, if he could have been a useful addition to our team.

Is that what you call playing Football Manager?

To me it is exactly the sort of thing a fans forum is for.

Andrew James
48 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:26:25
Si - now I am confused

I said VOO??

WHO TO?

I AM THE EGGMAN, COO COCHECHOO

Expert texpert...

Si Cooper
49 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:33:57
V(adis) O(djidja)-O(foe).
Andrew James
50 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:33:01
But guys, as Barry Rathbone posted earlier, we are all mates here so let's not let get bitter.

We're Blues not Reds X

Andrew James
51 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:36:27
Si — personally I would love us to sign another player with a difficult name...
David Stewart
52 Posted 05/01/2013 at 03:57:07
Maybe the kid had a look at the accounts just published and thought "Fuck that, that's a sinking ship if I ever saw one!"

I believe Moyes would be very interested in the kid — just like I'm very interested in owning a Rolls-Royce but we both have the same problem: no fuckin' money! So why depress ourselves looking in the window at something beyond our reach?

What amazes me is that, after all these years, people still get shocked when things like this happen. It's time to face reality and that reality is that, under the present owners, there will be no big purchases ever coming here. For us, it's loans, crocks and journeymen.

I also believe that – if not in January then at season's end – either baines or Fellaini (or even both) will go. Don't get too excited, though... cos most of the money raised won't be going to the manager: it'll be going to the bank instead.

May I suggest if you repeat the following mantra: There is No Money at Everton at least a million times a day, then it all falls into place and the pain lessens...

Cheers for 2013.

Paul Ellam
53 Posted 05/01/2013 at 09:30:27
I am not too heartbroken by this news. I would like to have seen him here but I guess Spurs either offered more or he we didn't approach him or he just isn't that big an Everton fan!

Life goes on, and I trust Moyes to make the right call.

Steven Telford
54 Posted 05/01/2013 at 09:32:57
Si #417 & Andrew #418 — I do the points you both make.

I don’t know what, but I was under the impression that we made an approach – I mean if he’s free, it seems “our sort of price” – but yet, it was perhaps a bit premature to consider him too much a mercenary.

It is a pity, as it would be nice to have another Blue supporter wearing the shirt, and Spurs are probably our biggest rival at the moment.

Okay, London location counts for a lot, but I don’t know who they are so much richer than us, when I consider that they have not played consistent CL football, and they don’t have a large Asian fan base like United, and Liverpool.

I was talking to a few Brazilian ex-players footballers over Christmas, now turned coaches, and one of the thing they said to me was that when you play professionally and move about, you just begin to enjoy a game for a game, and old allegiances fall to the side.

Denis Richardson
55 Posted 05/01/2013 at 09:47:37
Think he will turn out to be a great signing for Spurs (if they actually play him); however, he was realistically never going to come to us as we could not afford him, so there's no point in crying over it.

We simply don't have the cash right now to pay another player £75k a week (unless we'd have gotten rid of Fellaini or someone else on high wages) as well as a probably signing on fee of £3-4m.

As someone said above, a creative midfielder is not really our top priority - we need to use whatever cash we have for a DM first. Gibson is a sicknote and Neville cannot keep playing in the middle. We've more or less temporarily sorted the right wing issue with Mirallas (although injured). Neville is simply too old (and not good enough) to be in the middle of the park on a regular basis – he's going to be 36 is a couple of weeks!

Denis Richardson
56 Posted 05/01/2013 at 09:58:24
Steven 501 - Spurs are loaded as they have the backing of billionaire Joe Lewis behind them, through his Enic investment vehicle. They also have one of the most business savvy Chairman in the league in Daniel Levy. Together you have a very powerfull combination.

They are not as bad in the transfer market as people make out. they sold Modric for £35m and he cost them £16m and only paid £5m for Adebayor, only £8m for Van der Vaart at the time. 'Appy 'Arry made some stupid buys but also got them into the CL.

To sum up, they are a very well run business – unlike a certain one in blue I can mention...

John Ford
57 Posted 05/01/2013 at 10:28:21
Denis, yep it's kind of interesting in the last three seasons how Spurs have stepped into the financial big league. Not with a big fanfare the way Chelsea and city did, but they just started to sign top players and before you knew It they were challenging for CL places. Lucky bastards. It just makes our job that bit more difficult.

I don't really get this thread? So what if we didn't sign a player who just happened to be a blue as a kid. That he was a blue is irrelevant. In simple terms, it's whether Moyes likes, needs or can afford him, just like any other player. We didn't sign Demba Ba either, but I don't see 'outraged of Walton' going on about that.

David Hallwood
58 Posted 05/01/2013 at 10:43:33
And yet John Ford(#515) if you go on to Spurs websites they constantly complain about Daniel Levy's 'meaness'-all relative what?
Richard Reeves
59 Posted 05/01/2013 at 10:38:02
This is the sort of signing Everton should be interested in. No signing-on fee, a young, supposedly talented player attracting interest in some of the other big clubs, and a self-confessed Evertonian. Maybe because of his wages it was considered to be too much to pay for someone being a squad player.

If he joins Spurs and becomes a top player then we'll be scratching our heads thinking how did we miss out (if only for the re-sale value) when he was hinting at a move to Everton.

I must admit though that I have never seen him play football so I don't know how good he is and, as someone has said before, we have Barkley who needs more game time. Time will tell but my initial feelings are that we have missed an opportunity.

Jim Knightley
60 Posted 05/01/2013 at 10:58:15
Unfortunately guys, objectively for anyone in football, Spurs are going to progress more than we are. They can sign a French international goalie for £12mil, or Dembele or Dempsey... or attempt £20-25mil bids for Moutinho or Adriano or whichever other Shaktar ace they fancy. We are outgunned...

Whether we have made an offer or not for Holtby, I just do not think we can match Spurs' recent pedigree, their wages/signing on fee, or the potential of progress. For several years we've been stagnant, and we are only within touching distance of Spurs now, because Moyes has spent the little money he has had much more effectively.

But maybe Holtby won't be cut out for this league (I doubt it though...) and maybe we will get this Belgian guy who will turn out better. I'll judge at the end of the window.

John Ford
61 Posted 05/01/2013 at 11:00:55
What else do they want David? They should spend a season or two in our shoes. It's only when you see just how little we spend, and time after time we show an interest in players and they end up going elsewhere because we can't compete, that you realise how well we are doing just to keep on the periphery of the money clubs.

Blind faith eh. Keeps the depression at bay.

Sam Hoare
62 Posted 05/01/2013 at 11:20:52
Spurs are an extremely well run club with a man at the helm in Daniel Levy, who knows football and knows how to make money.

The annoying thing about Holtby, is that even if he does not become a superstar (which I think he may) they will be able to sell him a season later for £5-£8m because he is young and has a good reputation.

Sadly its irrelevant as we can't afford to mess with our already cracking wage structure by offering a 22-year-old, untested in the Premier League, £75k a week.

It just highlights the widening gap between us and Spurs.

Anthony Jaras
63 Posted 05/01/2013 at 02:01:00
Admittedly, the final two words of my previous comment were uncalled for, I was a tad drunk last night and a tad hasty too. Apologies.

However, my original point remains, that people above are calling Holtby because he has joined Spurs instead of us, when there is no evidence we even went for him.

Steven Telford
64 Posted 05/01/2013 at 12:11:53
Okay, Spurs may be backed by John Lewis et al, but I still don’t see how, without a global following, and/or persistent PL presences, they can be a profitable business.

Handouts from billionaire backers is one thing, but it does not quality the club as a successful business. I would have guessed their slice of TV revenue was similar to ours.

If Holtby is that good, at that age, it seems Schalke were pretty stupid to let him tick into his final year of contract and lose him for free. The Bosman ruling has a lot to answer for in terms of what it's done to mobility in football.

Winston Williamson
65 Posted 05/01/2013 at 13:45:32
I imagine Moyes would have signed him. However, it would have been dependent on a sale, namely Fellaini. If someone came in 1st of January and paid us £30mil for Fellaini, I'd have bet Moyes would have gone out and brought Holtby in – or at least tried.

That said, the reality was Fellaini didn't get sold (yet) and Spurs beat us to the punch. It's all a matter of timing – and ours was off, again.

Steven Telford
66 Posted 05/01/2013 at 15:20:07
Winston (#555), why the hell would getting a player on a free depend on selling a player for £30m?

Did Bill put you up to this? ;-)

James Stewart
67 Posted 05/01/2013 at 17:27:34
Spurs are a well run club and they back the mangers with a lot of cash. I was surprised they went for AVB over Moyes as I think Moyes would have achieved a lot had he gone there. Dembele was a fantastic buy for them.

Good luck to Holtby. Hard to be disappointed as I don't think we were even in for in. Spurs should be finishing in the top 4 with the players and cash they have.

Brian Waring
68 Posted 05/01/2013 at 17:50:10
As James and a few others have pointed out, Spurs are a well run club and the reason why they can go in for players like Holtby, and get them, is because they are run by savvy businessmen... whereas we're run by Billy Smart's circus.
John Ford
69 Posted 05/01/2013 at 18:05:06
It's also the fact that they have a rich backer Brian. In simple terms they can bid for players we are unable to. Business is one thing but in terms of success it's more important for clubs to have very deep pockets. This means that they are also able to manage debt better.
Si Cooper
71 Posted 05/01/2013 at 19:06:55
So the general consensus is we shouldn't even bother to approach a player who is likely to interest the wealthier clubs because it will all end in tears anyway? That disappoints me to be honest, as we might as well throw the towel in now.

Of course, if Holtby and his agent publicized his basic demands to anyone who showed any interest and that scared us off then that would be fair enough, but that isn't what is being reported here.

I thought the only real advantage of him being a Blue was that it would mean he might join us for less than he would squeeze out of the likes of Spurs, in order to 'live the dream' for a couple of years (he is young enough to probably have a couple more big money moves if he wants them and is good enough).

Other than that, the idea that you automatically get more effort out of 'one of your own' has long proved to be an irrelevance (Phil Neville being a prime example that your personal background does not indicate your committment).

I can't believe people aren't disappointed that we may not even have approached the lad. The bar is now officially set at its lowest.

Trevor McKinlay
72 Posted 05/01/2013 at 22:16:32
I can't believe how carried away people are getting with the idea that he's "a blue". From what I can make out his dad's the blue. He's spent his life in Germany, watching the premier league from afar, and is equally keen on Arsenal. He also said interest from Man U and Liverpool was a dream come true. If he's that keen on Arsenal, why's he signed for Spurs? I think the idea that he would come to us for less that he's taken at Spurs is ridiculous. He's a professional footballer, not a kid.
Winston Williamson
73 Posted 06/01/2013 at 17:15:14
Steven 563
Have you seen our accounts?? We simply cannot afford too many players on top wages.

My point was, Moyes probably would have signed a player of Holtby's ilk had he lost a player from the same position, on similar wages.

And a free is never a free. They always cost money. Money we haven't got until we sell.

I stand by what I say... it was a matter of timing and ours was off.


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