When footballers are quoted in newspapers these days you have to wonder if they are talking through the mouths of smooth talking agents. Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has joined Tottenham Hotspur just two weeks after claiming it would be a step down to play for any Premier League club except Manchester United. It begs the question of whether he was being genuine or if was he just giving a ‘come on’ from his agent in a desperate attempt to attract an offer from manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Real Madrid midfielder’s £8 million move was finally ratified yesterday after technical problems held up the deal before Tuesday’s deadline. van der Vaart was quoted as saying “I could never play for another club in Spain. If you are leaving Real Madrid there is only one club you can join that is not a step down and that’s Manchester United.”
But even though Old Trafford is miles away from White Hart Lane, 27 year old van der Vaart was delighted with his move to London “I want to play again and if possible every week with a beautiful club, I’m totally happy” he, or maybe his agent, has been quoted as saying.
“The fact Tottenham were playing in the Champions League influenced my decision a great deal although I know I have to earn my place in the team because they have a number of sensational players, I’m proud of this transfer.”
You have to wonder what happened to footballers who had no hesitation in saying what they really meant in previous years without the need to have their words vetted by agents. It also raises the question of how badly Ferguson REALLY wanted the Dutchman.
Would van der Vaart have been good value at £8 million?
he signed for spurs since fergie didnt want to open his cheque book big deal…
First off,although he said that about United,our club did not deem it as market value since they did not bid for him,would you agree ?? Second off,since United stay put,was he wrong to move to spurs in the situation he was in at Madrid ?? Third off,what was right,him staying and not playing,or choose the second or third best options apart from United,even though admittedly,he or his agent tried to get United interested ?? AND FOURTH OFF,is it the first time that SAF said something and then did the opposite ?????????????
and 5th…why did we sign Bebe for £7m and not VDV for £8?!
Laughable really.
1st Bebe is young and has the full potential of becoming a great player..2nd Man United was not interested to sign a 27 year old midfielder, as we have the likes of Scholes and Gibson in the squad..3rd if United was suppose to buy Van Der Vaart then it would not be £8 millions that we would have spent but more..signing with the spurs showed that van der vaart was desperate for a club to sign him
VDV may have fancied an Old Trafford move, but obviously Ferguson didn’t. United’s current signing policy is youth. VDV is 27 and would play for us for, say, three or four years. After which he has little market value due to his age (potentially). The club only sign players they feel they can get the best of and sell on for a reasonable return (after getting stung with the likes of Veron, Kleberson etc)
Also… how would he then fit into the 25 man squad rule? Arguably, he could take Hargreaves’ place, but obviously United reckon he’ll be back playing this year and didn’t feel it was worth the punt.
Honestly, these blogs are as bad as the press with this stuff. “We didn’t sign anyone, we’re going to FAIL”… no… Chelsea didn’t sign anyone… Arsenal didn’t sign anyone… we didn’t sign anyone. Big deal, we’ve got a large squad with cover in all the right places.
we have only registered 24 players and he could of filled the last space for 8m plenty of value at 27
He came out very shortly after that original statement was released and denied every making it. He then pledged he’d be happy to stay at Real and fight for a spot.
So he never said anything about United, at least not on record.
It appears that the point of this story has been missed. The first paragraph asks the question whether anyone can really believe what players are quoted as saying any more because the words they use are usually put into their mouths by agents tying to solicit an offer for their client. That point is then reinforced in the last par.
Sir Alex didnt want VdV, Utd have a youth policy when comes to deals and wouldnt sign ppl above 26 unless its a special talent like Berba (which VdV aint). The lad aint value for money at the price we would hadda pay, tottenham got him for £8m at the last minute, Utd thou would of hadda pay atleast twice that amount as quoted (Munich was told £18m)…as it is, we don’t need him, we’ve got better midfielders then him in Giggs, Scholes, Nani, Fletcher and Anderson.
He came out and said he never made the original quote. Will no one acknowledge this? It seems a rather major point