Former Tottenham chief claims Daniel Levy has ‘no understanding about football’ but defends his transfer negotiations
TOTTENHAM chief Daniel Levy’s lack of football knowledge is holding the club back, according to Frank Arnesen. Arnesen, 65, was Director of Football at Spurs between 2004 and 2005. And while he praised Levy for his hands-on style of negotiation, he was critical of the chairman’s understanding of the game. Arnesen told The Athletic: “You […]
TOTTENHAM chief Daniel Levy’s lack of football knowledge is holding the club back, according to Frank Arnesen.
Arnesen, 65, was Director of Football at Spurs between 2004 and 2005.
And while he praised Levy for his hands-on style of negotiation, he was critical of the chairman’s understanding of the game.
Arnesen told The Athletic: “You also have clubs where there are owners who are very hands-on and they want to do the negotiations, like Tottenham. Daniel does it himself and is very good at it.
“But he has no understanding about the football game and doesn’t interfere if you want a left-back or a right-winger. He trusts his manager and the sporting director to do that work.”
Levy has built up a reputation as a shrewd negotiator who often manages to sell players for fees way above their valuation, such as Gareth Bale and Kieran Trippier.
But in recent years several signings have not worked out.
Spurs spent a club-record fee on Tanguy Ndombele in 2019 but two-and-a-half years later there is talk of him being shipped out on loan to Paris Saint-Germain.
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Giovani Lo Celso signed in the same window and has started just two league games this season.
More recently, Levy attempted to sign Adama Traore this month but Barcelona hijacked the deal.
Porto winger Luis Diaz was also heavily linked with a move to North London but Liverpool appeared to have overtaken Spurs in that race.
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