Jermaine Jenas has commented on Tottenham’s pay structure.
Pundit and former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas has told BBC Sport that he thinks Tottenham Hotspur cannot even consider making a huge signing like Real Madrid’s Isco due to the money involved.
Whilst the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have been splashing the cash this summer in the hope of chasing the Premier League title, Tottenham have kept their powder dry.
Isco of Real Madrid
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are the only Premier League club yet to sign a new player this summer, though that could soon change with the imminent signing of Ajax centre back Davinson Sanchez.
The Guardian report that Spurs have agreed a club-record £42million deal to sign Colombian international Sanchez, and the 21-year-old is now poised to complete his move to North London as Tottenham’s first summer signing.
As Tottenham prepare to break their transfer record, chairman Daniel Levy is finally loosening the pursestrings, though fans continue to ask for more summer signings to boost Pochettino’s chances of mounting a title challenge this season.
One player strongly linked with Spurs earlier this year was Real Madrid’s Isco, with The Mirror reporting that Tottenham were preparing a huge move to land the Spanish playmaker, having been a bit-part player under Zinedine Zidane at that time.
However, Isco ended the season as a key player under Zidane and now looks set for a huge role with Real this season, having starred in pre-season – essentially ruling out a move elsewhere in the process.
Now, pundit Jermaine Jenas has told BBC Sport that Tottenham’s pay structure will prevent them from making big signings, specifically picking out Isco as an example of a player that Tottenham ‘cannot even consider’ signing due to the money involved, believing that Levy’s strict control of finances is holding Spurs back in the transfer market.
“At present, you kind of know that Spurs are never going to make a really huge signing, because of their wage structure,” said Jenas. “Say if Real Madrid made Isco available. They would have to pay upwards of £50m for him for starters but, even if Tottenham did do that, he would not go there for £100,000 a week. Coming from Real, he is going to want close to double that.”
“So, at the moment, they are not even in contention to sign that calibre of player. They cannot even consider it. Yes, the fact their current strongest XI is so good is one reason it is hard for them to sign players that will improve their team, but their pay structure is part of the problem too,” he added.
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