7 Times Daniel Levy Tried to Avoid Spending Money
By Tom Gott
Few people in football have a reputation for penny-pinching quite like Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.
Since he arrived in 2000, Spurs have managed to win just one trophy, and many fans feel Levy is responsible for that. They have come close far too often, but the chairman has never splashed out to take the next step, and now they're running the risk of going backwards.
Here are seven times that Levy's love of money was really on show.
The Failed Transfers
Right, let's start with an easy one. Over the years, Spurs have pulled out of plenty of transfers, allowing several players to blossom into world-beaters with some of their Premier League rivals.
Sadio Mané and Georginio Wijnaldum were both on Mauricio Pochettino's wish list in 2016 (after Spurs had come close to winning the title), only for their 'big' transfer fees to scare Spurs away and allow then-underachievers Liverpool to strike what now look like two huge bargains.
Go a little further back and you'll find a failed move for Sergio Agüero in 2011. Spurs triggered his €45m buyout clause but would not pay the additional tax, allowing Manchester City to swoop in and let him become the highest-scoring foreign player in league history.
Furloughing Staff & Asking Pochettino to Take Wage Cut
With football postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak, many clubs have stepped up and assured non-playing staff that they will still be paid. Spurs did so too...eventually.
Spurs initially planned to use the government's furlough scheme, which covers 80% of wages, to pay their workers, despite being one of the most financially successful sides in England, and that decision came on the same day it was revealed that Levy's pay had risen to £7m - including a £3m bonus for opening a stadium which was eight months late.
They eventually backtracked on the decision, with Levy confirming that he would take a pay cut to help the club. That's good, but they then asked former boss Pochettino to take a reduction on his salary which he is still being paid after being sacked. Brutal.
Making Mido Take an easyJet Flight
When Spurs struck a deal to sign Egyptian striker Mido from Roma in January 2005, Levy flew out to Rome to bring his new signing home...on an easyJet flight.
Now, there's nothing wrong with that really, but when you see other strikers taking private jets or luxury flights to their new clubs, you can't help but laugh at the fact that Mido was lumped on an easyJet flight.
They almost didn't even sign him permanently, confirming he would return to Roma before eventually changing their minds a few months later.
Being Against a Ticket Cap
In recent years, there has been some real drama when it comes to the price of away tickets. The Premier League has an agreement to cap tickets at £30 each, despite Levy's attempts to get rid of it.
Some leaked emails from Der Spiegel (via The Times) show Levy admitting he 'hated' the idea of capping ticket prices, which was not a good look for a man who had been accused of being a 'greedy b*****d'.
The cap was brought in anyway, but the damage was already done.
Claiming European Sides Don't Spend Money
“We have to get rid of this obsession in England of spending money. It just doesn’t happen overseas.”
That's what Levy told the Evening Standard in late 2019, and that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Yes, English sides do have a habit of spending big, but it's not like they're alone in that regard.
Only one of the 13 most expensive transfers in history was by an English side (Paul Pogba's move to Manchester United), because everyone on the planet is spending money these days. Well, apart from Spurs.
Not Signing a Player for 18 Months
Spurs failed to sign a single player over an 18-month period between January 2018 and the summer of 2019, despite countless calls from fans to put an end to the frugality. It ended when they signed Jack Clarke, but he immediately went out on loan anyway.
Granted, spending £1bn on a new stadium meant money was a little tight at that time, but surely that project shouldn't have been done at the expense of the squad, which was so close to becoming a dominant force.
They had been infamously 'putting the pressure on' for years beforehand, but Levy's refusal to spend money to improve cost Spurs in the long run.Spurs failed to sign a single player over an 18-month period between January 2018 and the summer of 2019, despite countless calls from fans to put an end to the frugality. It ended when they signed Jack Clarke, but he immediately went out on loan anyway.
Saying José Mourinho Barely Has Money to Spend
Pochettino was sacked in November 2019 after everything went wrong for Spurs. The squad was tired and weakening with each passing day, so they hoped to save the day by landing José Mourinho.
You'd think that Levy would see the frailties in the squad and give Mourinho some money to put things right, but no. He told the Standard: "If you compare us to certain other clubs, they will have more money to spend. It does not frighten us."
They did eventually land Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven alongside striking a loan deal for Gedson Fernandes, but is that enough to save them from their rot?