Chelsea hardly ever do business with Tottenham Hotspur, but on this penultimate day of the summer transfer window, we agreed not one, but two deals with them! Like London buses, as they might say.
The first agreement is for the permanent transfer of Tosin Adarabioyo, to the tune of £7m plus add-ons. When the transfer fee is seven million, how much could the bonuses be? A couple bus tickets for the proverbial London buses? Not quite as glamorous as buying Willian’s flight.
The second agreement is the
big one, and it’s for the season-long loan of Mykhailo Mudryk. There’s a loan fee involved, I’m sure, though it’s the buy-option that’s catching some double-takes: £75m. Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi once said that Mudryk has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or. Guess he still believes that. They did work together at Shakhtar Donetsk, which I’m sure played a big factor in agreeing this deal for all involved. Mudryk had a chance to go to Strasbourg, but he chose a familiar face instead.
As extraordinary as it may be that we’re doing business with Spurs, we needed to get deals done for both players. Can Tosin be a solid defender in this league? Sure, at times. Can Mudryk get his career back, and back on track? I’m less sure about that; he never came close to convincing before his ban. The risk of these moves becoming positive difference-makers in Spurs’ season is low, as things stand.
