Darragh MacAnthony has told Jim White to ‘stop virtue signalling’ after he questioned if Premier League clubs should do transfer deals with Russian teams after Tottenham Hotspur accepted a bid from Spartak Moscow for Davinson Sanchez.
The Peterborough owner made it clear that he ‘understands that it’s horrendous what’s happening in Ukraine’, but he made it clear that it isn’t illegal for clubs like Tottenham to do business with Russian teams, as he told talkSPORT.
Jim White even questioned ‘is it right?’, but MacAnthony made it clear that the talkSPORT host wouldn’t resign from his job as a presenter if a Russian were to purchase the British radio sports station.
This comes after reports that Davinson Sanchez could be heading for the exit door this summer at Hotspur Way – Spurs have accepted a £13 million bid from Spartak Moscow, now it’s up to the player to decide.
People can have their morals and that’s yours and yours only, but Spurs are doing nothing wrong by accepting a bid and looking to do a deal with the Russian club.
That was put forward by MacAnthony, who owns a League One side and has been part of many transfer dealings during his days at Posh.
“A lot of money they put into that one (on Sanchez struggling at Tottenham),” said Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony.
“Darragh, we have to go in this direction and I make no apology for it,” said Jim White. “With the on-going war in Ukraine. Should Premier League clubs be dealing with clubs in Russia?
“Is it illegal?” asked MacAnthony to which JR responded, “No, it’s not illegal. Is it right?”
MacAnthony then responded: “It’s not about being right or wrong. No, don’t start virtue signalling, Jim. I understand that it’s horrendous what’s going on out there in Ukraine.
“However, like I said before I walked into here. If a Russian, who had nothing to do with the war in Russia, and he came in and bought talkSPORT. Would you resign tomorrow? No, you wouldn’t.”
Sanchez’s time is up at Tottenham
The 27-year-old was a big-money signing under the stewardship of Mauricio Pochettino, after his arrival from Ajax.
There were big expectations on his shoulders, but he just couldn’t get going under Pochettino for several years, before he was sacked and Sanchez then declined even further.
The fact that he was booed by his own fans last season says it all, it was clear that was the start of the end for the centre-back, who will now have to find a new home because, if he ends up staying on, then Ange Postecoglou surely won’t make him part of his long-term first-team plans.
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