Tottenham chief Daniel Levy admits transfer ‘mistakes’ amid criticism

Tottenham assistant Cristian Stellini previews Saturday's trip to Leicester

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Daniel Levy has admitted that mistakes have been made in Tottenham’s recruitment policy over the years amid heavy backlash from supporters regarding the way the club is run. The north Londoners released their annual financial results on Friday, with their operating expenses increasing by over 18 per cent due to increased first team costs and the return to full matchday operations after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tottenham have spent heavily to improve their playing squad in the years gone by but have made more than their fair share of slip-ups in the market, with the likes of Bryan Gil, Tanguy Ndombele, Djed Spence and Matt Doherty failing to leave a lasting legacy during their respective spells at the club. Levy has since underlined the importance of getting things right in terms of player recruitment in order to avoid repeating their previous mistakes, which he believes have largely been stamped out in recent seasons.

“Since opening the stadium in April 2019, we have invested over £500million in our Men’s First Team squad – putting us in the top five of spending in the Premier League – with a further £47m commitment in the January window, as we continue to support the team in the world’s most competitive league,” said Levy as part of his official statement.

“Our spend levels show we have invested in the team – however, we walk a fine line between long-term investment and short-termism. This is why our recruitment must be first class as mistakes at this level have a financial and sporting impact for future seasons.

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“We have felt, and continue to feel, the financial impact of supporting player purchases which have not worked out as planned. We have taken steps to improve this area of operations and we believe the recent transfer windows reflect this.”

Tottenham welcomed two new first-team players in January, with Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro joining the club on loan from Villarreal and Sporting respectively, while the latter will be signed permanently for a fee of around £39million in the summer. They also moved to improve their youth ranks with the addition of teenage forward Jude Soonsup-Bell from Chelsea for an undisclosed sum.

It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will manage to steer clear of any further transfer hiccups in the not-too-distant future, with the upcoming summer window set to represent another opportunity for Levy to act diligently in the market to boost the club’s hopes of success. Any failure to provide such assurances to Antonio Conte could risk putting him off the idea of signing a new deal in north London, with the 53-year-old insisting last year that he is only willing to stay if the club match his ambitions both on and off the pitch.

“I’m open to improve the Tottenham situation and I decided to sign a contract with this club and I’m available to give my opinion, to give my vision and it won’t be a problem for me, a short contract, only one year to go,” he said.

“It won’t be a problem and I don’t want to commit to clubs for many years because I understand the salary is an important salary for the club and I have to deserve this type of contract. It’s OK because Tottenham has to be sure 120 per cent to continue to work with me.

“I’m happy to work with this group because they are giving me great availability. But at the same time, you know the club has to know my vision, has to know my opinion about the situation and especially what is our ambition.”

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