Its strictly business as far as Levy is concerned

He may be unpopular but Spurs have profited under their astute chairman who remains determined to hang onto his prize asset
Duncan Castles, The Sunday Times Published: 4 August 2013

Roberto Soldado is the latest signing at White Hart Lane (MANUEL BRUQUE)Roberto Soldado is the latest signing at White Hart Lane (MANUEL BRUQUE) WHEN Daniel Levy arrived at Tottenham Hotspur after Alan Sugars sale of a controlling shareholding, the clubs value was 60m. Some 13 years later, Tottenhams reticent, intractable chairman stands at the point of completing the 80m-plus sale of just one player. Listen to some White Hart Lane regulars discuss Levy and youd be forgiven for mistaking the 51-year-old Cambridge graduate for the devil incarnate. Talk to those who have had the pleasure of negotiating with him and they may tell you that it would have been easier to deal with Beelzebub himself. The man is not popular, and selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid towards the end of a summer in which Tottenham supporters had been repeatedly assured that the Premier Leagues player of the year would be staying is not going to improve any opinion polls. What cannot be questioned, though, is that the club have grown far stronger under Levy. Levy came to Tottenham as the managing director of ENIC, an investment group majority owned by the expat billionaire Joe Lewis. Spurs were en route to 12th place in the Premier

League, a fifth straight season in which their finishing position required double digits. In six of their past eight campaigns Tottenham have ended fifth or higher, and opposition managers now mention them as title contenders. They have graced the Champions League once, holding their own there until a quarter-final loss to Jose Mourinhos Madrid, and would have appeared again last season had it not been for Chelseas improbable 2012 victory in Munich. They have lifted silverware the 2008 League Cup more recently than Arsne Wenger. And all this has been achieved on a turnover and wage bill that were on the most recent figures the sixth highest in the division. If the anxiety of Florentino Perez, the Real president, to trump Barcelonas capture of Neymar and the eagerness of Bales agents to secure a lucrative Bernabeu contract have combined to swell the Welshmans valuation, that Tottenham will make such unprecedented profit is a product of Levys foresight. A few years into his chairmanship of Tottenham, Levy noted that fees paid by Premier League sides for the best homegrown footballers were inflating far beyond those for foreign players. Tottenham began signing highly rated domestic youngsters at a realistic price. Michael Carrick, Michael Dawson, Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone were part of the initial crop, Carricks eventual 18.6m sale to Manchester United covering all their acquisition costs and more. By the time a 16-year-old Bale made his full Southampton debut in April 2006, Arsenal, Chelsea and United were ready to bid serious money. Yet Levy still won the day with an offer of 5m, rising to 10m. What appeared a gamble on a teenager looked foolhardy as Bale suffered repeated injuries and an unparalleled 24 Premier League appearances without being part of a winning Tottenham side. By January 2010, Harry Redknapp made him available for transfer at 3m. There were no takers. Redknapp was to leave White Hart Lane long before Bale. Andre Villas-Boas became Redknapps successor and Spurs went on to record their highest Premier League points total and Bale achieved new levels of excellence under a coach who recognised just how dominant he could be. What has irked successive Spurs managers has been Levys brinksmanship in the transfer market. With Villas-Boas courted by both Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain over the close season, Levy has changed tack. One record transfer fee was spent on Paulinho in early July, a still larger one agreed with Valencia for Roberto Soldado last week. In the background Lewis, who hardly ever attends matches and is investing in the club to make profit, has encouraged the building of a new training ground and the development of plans for a new stadium. Marry the two with regular Champions League football and that 60m valuation of December 2000 will be turned into a multiple of Bales sale price when Lewis and Levy eventually sell on Tottenham.