Berahino in January for £25m?

[Gazzasrightboot]

That's something I just don't get

People have said we havent strengthened yet we signed 6 players and two have yet to even pull in a shirt... And we're failing already (not you by the way, just some fans)

These two could conceivably play this weekend against a sunderland side who look relegation fodder all ready (but that can change quickly) and look world beaters and the same doom mongererers will be talking about winning the league

You can't judge a transfer window one week after it closes and you never know all the facts as fans as to what goes on

What you do know is who your left with in the squad and what we need to do is give them a chance to play the game they were brought for

I completely agree with this. I think we have a good amount of time to see how our squad is playing and then in January we can make a call if it is worth buying Berahino. He could play every game for WBA in that time and score no goals, and then we may not even want him!

 

[metalgear]

i hope berahino acts like a petulan child and runs his contract down

 

[Gazzasrightboot]

I voted no, not because I wouldn't like the player to sign, but because I think Peace has just made his mind up Levy's not having his way. The reason we didn't sign Berahino in the summer window was that Levy's one-eyed financial imperatives dictated that Peace MUST give in to the buyer's terms. His only logical course was to give in, because the player hadn't signed a new contract, and therefore Albion were going to be approaching the dreaded walk-away-on-a-free scenario, when they'd already signed replacements. It was a no-brainer. Trouble was, though, Peace didn't feel like giving in.

Exactly the same imperative will apply in January, as far as Levy's concerned, ceteris paribus, and once again, the only possible course of action in his eyes will be for Peace to cave, so he'll be low-balling again. In the meantime, however, Peace's attitude will have had time to harden even further. That there will be other suitors looking to bargain on fresh terms is a virtual certainty, and Berahino may even be persuaded to sign that new contract with the release clause, if he's offered enough of a sweetener, and he believes Peace when he tells him Spurs aren't going to win this one, whatever happens. He isn't ever coming here now, IMO.

There is also the possibility that Peace will have sold WBA by then. I think it's too difficult to predict what's going to happen here. Peace is not exactly rational!

 

[Jordinho]

*Not to WBA either apparently (or Peace specifically). He's just thrown away that amount of money at least for his club with his behaviour during this transfer.
If a club the size of Spurs can't push the boat out by 5mil in support of our manager then would be disappointed to say the least.

I see posts saying that if Berahino stays he may score the goals with keeps them up and the added TV money that comes with it. That point is made on the false premise that no else would score enough goals to keep him them up, which I don't buy. This transfer was more about Peace's ego than anything else and for me Levy gets a complete pass on this one (not all of them just this one )

25 million is already pushing it way too far.

 

[Kandi1977]

I'd rather we spend some on a proper midfielder.

 

[Raziel]

Berahino scored 20 goals last season for a club battling relegation. You could also ask whether Kane would've been able to score 20 goals at a club like WBA where chances are far less frequent. Look at Kane and Berahino's respective records for England under 21s (where they get to play alongside players of the same ability).

Why on earth does there have to be a cap on the cost of buying a goalscorer, probably the most valuable of all players? If we had a number 9 who cannot play as the number 10 or were buying a new number 9 who couldn't play from the wide forward positions then you might have a point. Remember also that Berahino is only 21 so still has lots of potential upside.

I disagree that £30 million wouldn't have bought him.... Perhaps it wouldn't if made in desperation with 30 minutes of the window left with Pullis having no time to spend any of the windfall on strengthening other areas, however if even £25 million was offered at a decent point of the transfer window then I think the player would've gone and Pullis would've been happy to have then spent half of that on other reinforcements.

Really? fudge me ... we should have just went for Messi or Ronaldo ..

Berahino has upside, but he could be the next Carroll/insert name of overhyped/expensive English strikers that went nowhere

Everyone who argues that Berahino was ours for a few million more, never talks about the Everton/Stones comparison, and Everton weren't even taking it personally like WBA. The chairman decided to play us, their manager and player along and never intended to sell.

 

[Rorschach]

25 million is already pushing it way too far.

It certainly sounds a lot but I beleive this is almost the going rate for half decent strikers with PL experience these days, especially with the English nationality factor included. I certainly don't think it is an outlandish price and one we (eventually) seemed willing to pay if you believe some sources.

The most important element of the whole deal for me was that Poch seemed to want this guy and that in itself was worth paying a little extra. Anyway, it is all moot as Peace was being a dingdong and only really crazy money would have made the deal happen.

 

[parklane1]

If Berahino cannot score against top opposition ....hes not worth buying.
Defoe had the same problem. Score tons against smaller teams .but as soon
as he was put under pressure against a decent defense he faded away.

This is the difference between someone who can create their own goals
and those that cant. ie .... Berbs, Soldado.Soldado being the latter.

A super strike does not make a super player!

That is yet another myth, Defoe is the only player to have scored against every side in the Prem and has scored 8 against City and 5 against both Utd and Chelski. Now you may think that is not a lot but seeing as the top side do not concede a lot of goals its better then most.

 

[Gazzasrightboot]

I think Defoe is a great player and one that is underestimated in what he has achieved. He would have been a better, and possibly cheaper, back up option than Soldado. Sometimes it is better the devil you know!

 

[parklane1]

Could not agree more, he is our 5th highest goal scorer of all time and is our top scorer in Europe. Can not understand Spurs fans who say he is not a top player.

 

[Maltese Falcon]

Everyone who argues that Berahino was ours for a few million more, never talks about the Everton/Stones comparison, and Everton weren't even taking it personally like WBA. The chairman decided to play us, their manager and player along and never intended to sell.

The only difference being that Everton said he was not for sale from the start and Stones is on a much longer contract. His value will increase further as he matures whereas beyond January (assuming he will not sign a new contract) Berahino's value will only plummet.

In the case of Berahino, it was obvious that WBA not only wanted but were expecting to sell. Why buy BOTH Rondon and Lambert in advance, when Pulis is pretty fixed in his one striker game plan? And why should Peace had to "take it personally"? The guy has sold players before - even important ones; he sold Shane Long when he had no replacement lined up... Why didn't he take it personally with Southampton then?

There is no doubt in my mind that we would have concluded the Berahino deal if we had gone about it in a different, more cooperative and proactive manner. And probably even for the final 25 mill we ended up offering...

 

[StephenH]

I do not believe in coincidences and it is no coincidence that practically every window we get "news" of Levy tinkleing off a club. WBA this year, Southampton last, Lyon with Lloris, Seville with Fazio, Sporting with Dier, Seville again with Ramos and the list goes on. People will say that Levy is just doing this for the best interest of the club, which I can understand. But why is it always US that get the bad publicity? Hundreds of transfers are done every window but it is consistently US that are held up as untrustworthy and cheapskates. Don't the chairmen of other clubs also look out for their own? So why don't we see the same headlines about them? Even Chel53a came out smelling sweeter in their pursuit of Stones. Why, then, is it always us that get the bad press? Is it possible there is a wholesale Fleet Street agenda against us?

We should have course say "screw them" and erect an "us and them" bunker attitude but would that be useful? If we really want to improve, we need to buy players. And after the Bale money debacle, players from Premier clubs offer a lower risk element. However, if our reputation as untrustworthy transfer partners precedes us, then we should not be surprised to find doors closing shut in our faces...

For all it's worth, I believe that Levy left it late, thinking he held all the cards in the poker game and believing he could bully Peace to accept the move on our terms. But he failed to read both the circumstances as well as his opponent, who just pulled out the royal flush at the very end to win the game. As for Levy walking away, how can you square that circle when we were throwing desperate offer after offer past the eleventh hour? To me, it just confirms that Levy got caught with his pants down!

I do accept that in any transfer you win some and lose some but no amount of sweeteners can disguise the fact that the Berahino affair was a total shambles from start to finish. If posters like Milo think that is OTT, I have no problem; I equally think that some of the posts in this thread belie a groupie mentality, if not extremely condescending.

I just hope that Levy learns a lesson from this farce especially that, in business, the last thing you want is to antagonise the people who you want to deal with. I am not holding my breath, though...

I personally do not think Levy got caught with his pants down - I just think Peace was looking for close to £30m due to all the febrile bidding with the likes of Stone and Martial in the previous week.

 

[Maltese Falcon]

I personally do not think Levy got caught with his pants down - I just think Peace was looking for close to £30m due to all the febrile bidding with the likes of Stone and Martial over the weekend.

Fair enough.. that's why this is called a discussion board because we all discuss our individual opinions. However even if you are right, the fact that he tried to play his cards so close to the deadline opened him up to the febrile bidding effect that you suggest and ended up getting his trousers pulled down nonetheless...

 

[StephenH]

Fair enough.. that's why this is called a discussion board because we all discuss our individual opinions. However even if you are right, the fact that he tried to play his cards so close to the deadline opened him up to the febrile bidding effect that you suggest and ended up getting his trousers pulled down nonetheless...

Son was in the bank which I think gave Levy a walk away option. Barehino for around £22m on instalments would have been the icing on the cake. just my gut feeling

 

[Maltese Falcon]

I will wait to pass judgement, but Son looks a Lamela replacement - not a Kane alternative. This sudden "promotion" to a striker (coincidentally at the same time as missing out on Berahino), when he has been playing midfield in Germany all his career, is strange to say the least.

As for icing on cakes... Levy does not spend £22 or £25 mill on any icing; if it was just icing, he would not have gone back with two or three offers past the eleventh hours. I think you are rather deluding yourself there. We were desperate for Berahino - the way things panned out on deadline day fit in more with that picture...

 

[We are Tottenham]

Could not agree more, he is our 5th highest goal scorer of all time and is our top scorer in Europe. Can not understand Spurs fans who say he is not a top player.

Its not easy to score a hundred goals agreed....these days though the pitches are no where near as heavy as years ago! and I think it made scoring harder.

For me that game some years ago now against Smellsea in the FA cup summed up Defoe for me when he should have finished em off at SB in the last minute of the game....and he bloody missed the chance!

 

[Cochise]

Stories bouncing around today from all corners saying he should respect WBA, which I agree with as the fans and his team-mates deserve it. That doesn't mean that I think he should sign a new contract though, because there is no way Peace will let him leave for a reasonable amount.

Other stories around linking Arsenal with a £10 million move for Embolo whom we were linked with over the summer. Given that the Basel chairmen wanted £18 million for him back then, I can't see this being true, but if he plays well against England tonight, I reckon we will hear no end of speculation about him. Similarly to how Martial wasn't all that impressive until UTD came in for him.

 

[Baleforce]

they pay him to do a job, he needs to suck it up and be a pro, if he wants to leave then his best move is to not extend his contract though imo

 

[StephenH]

I will wait to pass judgement, but Son looks a Lamela replacement - not a Kane alternative. This sudden "promotion" to a striker (coincidentally at the same time as missing out on Berahino), when he has been playing midfield in Germany all his career, is strange to say the least.

As for icing on cakes... Levy does not spend £22 or £25 mill on any icing; if it was just icing, he would not have gone back with two or three offers past the eleventh hours. I think you are rather deluding yourself there. We were desperate for Berahino - the way things panned out on deadline day fit in more with that picture...

Icing was the wrong word. Anyway its all about opinion! I have not a scooby as to what actually went down!

 

[Finney Is Back]

Really? fudge me ... we should have just went for Messi or Ronaldo ..

Berahino has upside, but he could be the next Carroll/insert name of overhyped/expensive English strikers that went nowhere

Everyone who argues that Berahino was ours for a few million more, never talks about the Everton/Stones comparison, and Everton weren't even taking it personally like WBA. The chairman decided to play us, their manager and player along and never intended to sell.

I don’t get your first point at all… Neither Messi or Ronaldo would choose to join Spurs even if we could afford the £100+ million fees for them. The cap that we operate for any player should simply be the point at which we can no longer afford them. £25 million is not unaffordable for our club (as evidenced by our desperate last minute bid for Berahino).

I have never said that Berahino would’ve been ours for a few million more. In fact I think we could’ve got him for the amount that we eventually offered, we just needed to offer it with a bit of time left in the window that would’ve allowed WBA to spend some of the income. If we’re prepared to go to £25 million (or whatever it ended up being) for Berahino with 30 minutes of the window left, then why not offer it with one week to go and then leave that offer on the table? I think if we had done that then Pullis would've really pushed Peace into selling him as he would've wanted to get his hands on some of that money to strengthen elsewhere.

The difference between Stones and Berahino is that Everton were clear that the player wasn’t for sale. The chairman and manager were united in that stance. For Berahino we had a player for which the chairman was saying we hadn’t bid enough and the manager was saying that he thought he might be sold. My thoughts are that their chairman got so p!ssed off with us lowballing them that he made a stance not to sell to us on the last day of the window.