Hypothetical Scenario

[Spurger King]

Literally the first thought that came to my mind when I read the OP: "Why, are we struggling to match the costs."

If Glorious Leader publicly stated "Look, we've had all of these grandiose plans and only have about a quarter costs covered...we are fooked!! We'll probably have to go back to a corner-missing WHL until we come up with £300 million." - then we might have to think about it. But to the best of my knowledge, it has actually been managed really well. In fact, I have a good laugh to myself whenever I see oppos fans trying to allay their fears, 'cos we are actually quite good now, by referencing ArseAnal's move and how we will be crippled in the transfer market for the next decade.

So the only point in doing it would be to get players at the same or higher level. United have already conceded defeat in their concerted media campaign of saying they would be prepared to pay £50 million for Kane. They've upped it to £70 mill they would be prepared to pay. And even that wouldn't be enough IMHO. Same with Dele. £50 million would be short changing afaiac. Wouldn't be any point in selling them just to replace with potential. So, already, we are talking about replacing two players with top of the range World Class attacking players at their peak. It would cost close to two thirds of that money to buy Dele and Kane if we were to sell them to one of the elite clubs we are hoping to rival. And probably as much to replace them. And then the players we bought in wouldn't have the feel for the club, or total fan love of Kane.

So, we would be taking a huge risk that the players we bought in would in actual fact be better and more suited than the two we sold, to have £100 million left over when we don't really have any pressing need for it to get the stadium done. We would also be reaffirming the mythology that we are a selling club. There's nowhere near as much in it for the club when you analyse it than sounds just saying £300 million IMHO.

Exactly. Levy isn't an 'act now, ask questions later' kind of bloke. Arsenal went with an approach that crippled their spending power for a long time after the stadium was built, and they're still struggling to emerge from the problems it caused.

We've clearly reduced our spending over the last few seasons quite significantly. Our incomings are usually more than covered by our outgoings, and we've resisted the urge to throw around stupid wages (hello West Ham). As I understand it, once we are playing in our new stadium the shackles are off, and we'll be able to benefit from the massive increase in gate receipts pretty much immediately.

I'm not Levy's biggest fan, but in my opinion he's managed the stadium upgrade perfectly. Hopefully with a good season this year and next we'll hit the new ground running.

 

[BPR_U16]

Sell the best and others will follow - NO DEAL whatever the amount.

Players are currently signing new contracts as a whole because they have bought into what Poch and the club are doing.

 

[Bulletspur]

Not for ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS!

I think you would, considering with that amount you could buy Bale Messi Ronaldo and Neymar and still pay each of them £500,000 a week!

 

[fortworthspur]

there is, no doubt, a financing plan in place for the stadium - we dont need to pay it off next week. Losing Kane and Alli right now would kill us. The season would be effectively over and no Europe next year in all liklihood.

 

[tiger666]

Do other clubs do this on their forums? Keep mentioning selling their best players? Such a small time mentality.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

a Chinese club offers £300m for Alli and Kane. This would pay off the majority of the stadium. Would you take the money?

We could spend all of the money on Isco, Berahino and Zaha. Just think how much better off we would be!

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Do other clubs do this on their forums? Keep mentioning selling their best players? Such a small time mentality.

I'm fairly certain that Man United fans had similar discussions about Ronaldo and how his sale would help to pay off the Glazer's debt. Also when Rooney almost moved to City and when Beckham went to Real etc. All of these happened whilst United were very much 'big time', under Fergie.

Liverpool are above us in the league, yet their fans seem to be really concerned that Coutinho is leaving. There are rumours about Sanchez wanting to leave Arsenal.

There is probably less gossip about star players leaving Chelsea and Man City because they have no need of the income and can match any wage offers. Oscar may have just gone to China, but Chelsea got £60m for a fringe player!

 

[JimmyG2]

Do Dele and Harry have a yen to move to China?

 

[Shadydan]

I think you would, considering with that amount you could buy Bale Messi Ronaldo and Neymar and still pay each of them £500,000 a week!

Yeah good luck trying to tempt them to come to Spurs

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

No of course not, because the price is irrelevant.

Whatever it costs to persuade a good player to move to Real or Barca, it will cost more to persuade an equally good player to move to Spurs, if it was possible at all. We have a competitive disadvantage.

So in football terms there is no way we could benefit from selling our best players.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

Exactly. Levy isn't an 'act now, ask questions later' kind of bloke. Arsenal went with an approach that crippled their spending power for a long time after the stadium was built, and they're still struggling to emerge from the problems it caused.

We've clearly reduced our spending over the last few seasons quite significantly. Our incomings are usually more than covered by our outgoings, and we've resisted the urge to throw around stupid wages (hello West Ham). As I understand it, once we are playing in our new stadium the shackles are off, and we'll be able to benefit from the massive increase in gate receipts pretty much immediately.

I'm not Levy's biggest fan, but in my opinion he's managed the stadium upgrade perfectly. Hopefully with a good season this year and next we'll hit the new ground running.

Not relevant to the title of the thread but in the absence of the announcement of a stadium sponsor and long term financing how do you reach these conclusions ?

Not having a pop, genuinely interested to know more about the stadium financing.

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

Not relevant to the title of the thread but in the absence of the announcement of a stadium sponsor and long term financing how do you reach these conclusions ?

Not having a pop, genuinely interested to know more about the stadium financing.

Do you imagine that Levy of all people would take the risk of allowing the stadium build to go on at such a pace if he didn't know how it could be paid for?

 

[Spurger King]

Not relevant to the title of the thread but in the absence of the announcement of a stadium sponsor and long term financing how do you reach these conclusions ?

Not having a pop, genuinely interested to know more about the stadium financing.

As @Led's Zeppelin said, Levy's hardly going to take risks. We've already got the NFL contract tied up, and it looks like Nike will follow imminently. We've had the lowest net spend in the Prem for several years, so it's reasonable to think we've been stockpiling cash for the rebuild. Companies will be clamouring to get the stadium sponsorship, so I'm not exactly worried that Levy will end up going cap in hand to Chick King asking them for a tenner a month to stick their name on the roof!

It also came out during the Archway court case that we have the option of a huge bank loan, which as far as I know we haven't utilised. We'll probably end up having Nike sponsor the stadium anyway, which makes sense considering we'll soon have a glamorous new stadium housing showcase NFL games.

 

[gilzeantheking]

Do you imagine that Levy of all people would take the risk of allowing the stadium build to go on at such a pace if he didn't know how it could be paid for?

IIRC Levy gave an interview/made one of his statements to the fans (Can't remember which) where he said that the Club had purchased steel and other materials at the lowest price during the recession thus future proofing some of the building costs.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

As @Led's Zeppelin said, Levy's hardly going to take risks. We've already got the NFL contract tied up, and it looks like Nike will follow imminently. We've had the lowest net spend in the Prem for several years, so it's reasonable to think we've been stockpiling cash for the rebuild. Companies will be clamouring to get the stadium sponsorship, so I'm not exactly worried that Levy will end up going cap in hand to Chick King asking them for a tenner a month to stick their name on the roof!

It also came out during the Archway court case that we have the option of a huge bank loan, which as far as I know we haven't utilised. We'll probably end up having Nike sponsor the stadium anyway, which makes sense considering we'll soon have a glamorous new stadium housing showcase NFL games.

Assumption is very dangerous. For example you assume we've been stockpiling cash but our accounts don't show that. I'm not saying we are in trouble but I think people are far too sanguine about the necessity to raise very significant finance and the potential impact it will have on our footballing activities. Levy appointed a dedicated person to secure a stadium sponsor and fired her after a year, that doesn't exactly suggest that sponsors are swarming over us. My point is that until the sponsorship and finance are in place we really have no idea what the impact on our transfer and salary budgets will be.

 

[Spurger King]

Assumption is very dangerous. For example you assume we've been stockpiling cash but our accounts don't show that. I'm not saying we are in trouble but I think people are far too sanguine about the necessity to raise very significant finance and the potential impact it will have on our footballing activities. Levy appointed a dedicated person to secure a stadium sponsor and fired her after a year, that doesn't exactly suggest that sponsors are swarming over us. My point is that until the sponsorship and finance are in place we really have no idea what the impact on our transfer and salary budgets will be.

I agree that assumption can be dangerous, and I'm not being blindly optimistic. The best way I can put it is that Levy's track record gives me a lot of confidence that he's carried out due diligence and won't put the club at risk.

 

[DIEHARD]

Lady Jane is not worth 300 million. Maybe Sir John Thomas.

****

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

I agree that assumption can be dangerous, and I'm not being blindly optimistic. The best way I can put it is that Levy's track record gives me a lot of confidence that he's carried out due diligence and won't put the club at risk.

I hope you are correct, I'll feel,a lot better when we announce the stadium sponsorship.

 

[Mullers]

Any player with an ounce of ambition doesn't want to go China. I have complete confidence when it comes to Levy's handling of finances IMO the situation would never occur. If the money would be set aside for player investment, I still would not consider it, as I'm not confident that we would get top quality replacements.

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

Assumption is very dangerous. For example you assume we've been stockpiling cash but our accounts don't show that. I'm not saying we are in trouble but I think people are far too sanguine about the necessity to raise very significant finance and the potential impact it will have on our footballing activities. Levy appointed a dedicated person to secure a stadium sponsor and fired her after a year, that doesn't exactly suggest that sponsors are swarming over us. My point is that until the sponsorship and finance are in place we really have no idea what the impact on our transfer and salary budgets will be.

You're assuming that the reason Levy appointed someone to secure stadium sponsorship is a sign of a shortage of sponsors. It is just as likely to be a sign that there are plenty of potential sponsors and because it's always important to get the very best deal possible, it is worth paying someone to dedicate themselves to the process. In fact it is probably more likely that this is the reason than, as you suggest, Spurs are casting around for someone to help them out to prevent them from getting into financial trouble.

In finance of this order, a company like THFC with its advisers will know what finance is available and on what terms and will almost certainly have offers available. Not to do so would be gross negligence of an order that no serious business could ever contemplate at this stage of such a major development. I do not believe Levy is incompetent. There is no evidence to suggest that he takes reckless risks of this type.

I'm not making assumptions but talking from experience. I think you're worries are misplaced.