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TIDYING UP ALL THE LOOSE STORIES IN FOOTBALL THIS WEEK |
Tottenham will hold talks with London Mayor Boris Johnson, originally planned for next week, to discuss an ?18 million (?21.8m) ?final offer? from the public purse to fund the club?s planned stadium development, The Sweeper can disclose.
Johnson is scheduled to visit Haringey next Thursday to open an enterprise academy and has pencilled in a meeting with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy - although the timing has not yet been finalised - about the public sector contribution to the new White Hart Lane.
The Mayor is insistent that there will be no further negotiation on the ?18m offer, comprised of money from the Greater London Authority and Haringey, which has been on the table since last autumn.
The Sweeper understands that it is a ?take-it-or-leave-it? offer and that Johnson is now simply waiting to hear Spurs? answer. ?He is not willing to negotiate the figure anymore and is running out of patience,? one source said.
Levy told the AGM last month that Tottenham were now totally committed to building a new stadium at Northumberland Park, adjacent to the current ground, but he said that further public investment in the area from the Mayor, local government and Transport for London was crucial to making the project attractive to investors.
At the end of November, the club were given three weeks to accept Johnson?s offer but have extended the deadline and talks are now set to come to a head. ?
Tottenham insist they are still in ongoing discussions with the Mayor?s office and stress that any money from the government is not coming to the club but to regenerate the public transport and roads surrounding White Hart Lane in what is one of London?s most deprived boroughs.
Levy and the Spurs board are concerned that land values fell following last summer?s riots and this has made the area a greater risk for private investors as the club try to fund the ?460m (?558m) project.
Johnson has said that he wants Tottenham to stay in Haringey and develop the new stadium but the money will be spent elsewhere in the borough if his offer is not accepted.
Spurs are seeking a mix of sponsorship, naming rights and bank finance to raise more than ?300m (?363.9m) in construction costs, and the directors said at the AGM that de-listing the club from the Stock Exchange was crucial to raising the funding.
As The Sweeper revealed last month, the Premier League high-fliers have held tentative discussions with six to eight potential naming rights partners, including Qatar Airways, which is part-owned by the government of Qatar.
ARSENAL SET TO PAY ?434,000 (?526.5k) TOWARDS HENRY LOAN
Thierry Henry's short-term loan at Arsenal has been warmly greeted by supporters ? but it has also eased some pressure at his club, New York Red Bulls.
The biggest spenders in MLS have gone for broke to win silverware in recent seasons but there is not expected to be the same budget this year for players and salaries.
It was not only for magnanimous reasons that the Red Bulls granted Henry?s wish for a second coming at the club where he established his global reputation. They will also make much-needed financial savings, which will free up some cash for the current recruitment draft.
The Sweeper understands that the Red Bulls will save ?434,000 if Henry remains at Arsenal for the seven weeks for which that the Premier League club are hoping.
The Frenchman earns $10million-a-year (?7.9m) at the MLS club, half of which is paid for by the franchise and the other half by title sponsor Red Bull. This means that Arsenal?s commitment will be to pay ?62,000-a-week (?75.2k) during his current spell, which will be regarded as shrewd business should he show flickers of the form of his formidable peak.
TRIAL FOR FA AS CHIEFS MONITOR REDKNAPP CASE
The Spurs boss is the clear favourite with most bookmakers to replace Fabio Capello, with some having him as short as evens to follow the Italian.
Nevertheless, The Sweeper understands that the FA will be keeping a particularly close eye on Redknapp?s forthcoming trial for tax evasion, which begins on January 23 and is expected to last for two weeks.
Should Redknapp?s reputation be tarnished during the court case then it could prompt a sea change in the governing body?s post-Euro 2012 plans.
LIVERPOOL TOLD TO PAY ?1.8M (?2.2m) FOR RED BULLS STRIKER
The Sweeper understands that if Liverpool or any other suitors want to prise the 19-year-old striker from the MLS, they will have to match New York Red Bulls? ?1.8m (?2.2m) valuation of the teenager, who has already won 15 caps for the USA.
MLS rules dictate that only a third of the cash from the sale would go to his franchise to finance further player investment. A third has to be ploughed back into the franchise?s academy and the other third would go to MLS itself.
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