Following yesterday's purchase of Mido from AS Roma, Spurs today agreed to fees for Fulham midfielder Steed Malbranque and Wigan defender Pascal Chimbonda. Combined, Mido, Malbranque and Chimbonda's
transfer fees amount to about $21 million, a little more than half what Manchester United paid them for Michael Carrick. Tottenham boss Martin Jol will hope the new signings can help spur the club
into better form; Tottenham has had a disappointing start to the season, recording defeats to Bolton Wanderers and Everton just three games into the new campaign. Earlier this summer, the club spent a
combined $37 million on Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov and Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora. Wigan defender Chimbonda has been looking for a move to Tottenham all summer, and as the move was
stalling, the France international became quite vocal about the steep price tag placed his employers over his head. Nevertheless, The Guardian tells us that Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy agreed to
pay the $10 million fee anyway. Wigan stands to profit handsomely from its investment in Chimbonda, who the club bought from French club Bastia for just under $1 million a year ago. Fulham's
Malbranque is believed to prefer a move to Spurs over West Ham, the other club chasing his signature. Tottenham has matched the Hammer's price, and is throwing in right-winger Ian Routledge for good
measure. Mido, Tottenham's latest confirmed signing, was presented to the press yesterday, where he expressed his happiness at returning to White Hart Lane. "I'm very happy to be back," he said. "It
was, and it always will be, a great honour for me to play for Tottenham. I always knew in my heart I would be coming back. It is a fantastic move for me, I have some good friends here and it will be
good to be back with the lads."
Read the whole story at The Guardian »
