‘Declan Rice to Tottenham’: Paul Scholes reacts to shock transfer question
Daniel Levy is often criticised for his lack of spending with Ange Postecoglou now struggling to make any positive impact on the pitch for Tottenham.
Spurs launched a last-gasp £70million bid to sign Marc Guehi, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero sidelined, but the offer was always going to be rejected with hours of the window remaining.
The Lilywhites owner likely knew this but wanted to prove to the fans his ability to open his pockets and invest heavily on the pitch, something supporters are desperate to see more of.
While Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel arrived in North London before the deadline, Levy is often trying to save money by finding smart, cheap deals rather than splashing out to improve the squad.
That has, unsurprisingly, caused a rift between the match-going fans and the owner, leading to a rather silly question arising about the potential for Spurs to go after someone like Arsenal’s Declan Rice.
Paul Scholes shuts down Tottenham switch for Arsenal star
Speaking via The Overlap [11 February], The Fighting Cock’s Flav Bateman said: “Spurs have been continuously happy to stand still. Is there any world where Declan Rice, a player of his calibre, Spurs go in for?
“And secondly, does he come to the football club? No. Why is that?”
Instantly reacting, Paul Scholes replied: “In all honesty with Declan Rice, if any player around the world has to choose between Arsenal and Spurs, they’re going to choose Arsenal.”
Daniel Levy transfer stance needs changing
This season’s lack of reinforcements, despite battling in four competitions before last week, has put Postecoglou in an unbelievably difficult position at Hotspur Way.
The Australian is under tremendous pressure due to some of the performances this term, but with several key injuries meaning stars are still unavailable, he has been left with a depleted squad.
While many will argue that the Lilywhites should be doing far better with the current squad, with more than enough talent at his disposal, Postecoglou is clearly suffering from the lack of support from the hierarchy.
Fingers are also being pointed at Levy, of course, but the manager is normally the first to go if the owner wants to take some of the heat off him. That might not work this time.
Any manager walking into this position would struggle. It is just Postecoglou’s comments in the media that cause him to stir the pot, likely just protecting his players from the outside noise.