SWP/Lennon

[Martin Lol]

The Times are reporting that Chelsea are keen to do a swap deal plus cash adjustment

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,277-2436848,00.html

 

Chelsea wait in the wings with £20m Lennon bid

By Matt Hughes

 

 

 

CHELSEA are planning an audacious attempt to sign Aaron Lennon from Tottenham Hotspur. The Barclays Premiership champions, who play at White Hart Lane tomorrow, will make a discreet inquiry about the England winger’s availability when the transfer window opens on January 1, but are more confident of securing his signature next summer.

Lennon has 3½ years left on his contract and it will take a fee in excess of £20 million to persuade Tottenham to sell, with Chelsea hoping to use Shaun Wright-Phillips as the makeweight in the transfer.

 

 

 

Wright-Phillips, 25, who cost Chelsea £21 million, has made little progress after failing to impress during his first season at Stamford Bridge and José Mourinho views Lennon, 19, as a much better prospect.

 

With Joe Cole and Arjen Robben already in his squad, Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, appears to be well blessed with wingers, but Chelsea’s ambition is to collect the best young players in the world and Frank Arnesen, Chelsea’s head of development and scouting, has convinced the club’s board that Lennon falls into that category.

 

Having recommended the former Leeds United winger to Tottenham before his controversial switch from White Hart Lane to Stamford Bridge 18 months ago, Arnesen is the driving force behind the move. Tottenham inserted a clause preventing Chelsea signing any of their players for a year when the £6 million compensation package for Arnesen was agreed, but that cooling-off period has passed.

 

Lennon would be eligible to play in the Champions League if Chelsea get their man in January. Uefa rules allow them to add three players to their squad for the knockout stages, one of whom can have played in the Uefa Cup.

 

Like Arnesen before him, Lennon would more than double his £25,000-a-week wages if he moved to Stamford Bridge, but whether he is prepared to sacrifice the virtual guarantee of first-team football remains to be seen.

 

The experience of Wright-Phillips provides a salutary lesson that the biggest clubs are not always the best places for young players to nurture their skills. He has started only 12 league matches since his move from Manchester City in July 2005.

 

In contrast, despite several injuries, Lennon has made 26 Premiership starts for Tottenham in 18 months at the club. His speed and trickery have enabled him to become a Spurs regular over the past 12 months and, after the banishment of David Beckham, he is well placed to challenge for a place in Steve McClaren’s first XI, with the England head coach committed to building a team based on pace.

 

Such progress has not gone unnoticed by Mourinho, who believes that Lennon uses the ball more intelligently and has greater potential than Wright-Phillips.

 

Losing Lennon to their bitter rivals would be a huge blow to Tottenham fans, but Martin Jol may take a more pragmatic view. The head coach is a huge admirer of Wright-Phillips and may find a cash-plus-player exchange hard to resist if the money was right.

 

 

I'm told the enquiry has already been made, SWP + £12m.  Most fans on the Spurs forums are telling Jose to shove it,  but I'm far from convinced.  SWP hasn't become a bad player overnight and should be worth £10m+ (imo) and an extra £12m makes that, for me, an attractive deal. 

 

What would you do?

[Guest Imperio]

Very attractive offer, I'd almost definitely take it. You could use the money to bring a left winger in unless you plan on playing SWP there.

[Cajun]

Good love Chelsea and their overpaying for everyone!

[80]

Its Chelsea, so get what you can, but you'd surely take it. You'd have to have quite a plan, or a stack of resources, to do otherwise. Of course, it would predicate upon a few smallish things. I trust SWP's head hasn't gone to hell in the last couple of years, for example.

[Cronky]

The problem is that Chelsea didn't need SWP. They bought him to stop him going to one of their rivals, and haven't given him a proper chance. As a result, whenever he plays, he tries to do too much.

 

Lennon's a very good player, but SWP has something a bit extra. If true, I think that's a very good deal for Spurs.

[iklgizmo]

i would def take it, i want swp to go to arsenal though

[indi]

Lennon would be mad to go there, he'd just become the next SWP, if he goes he must be a bit think.

[Guest nufc16]

lennon will become vastly superior to SWP in a few years. best dribbler we've seen in english football for a long time. SWP is a decent dribbler, but it's more of a clumsy style, unlike lennon who looks as comfortable with the ball at his feet as giggs did in his prime.

 

 

SWP at his best when he was at man city, his end product for the talent he has, was excellent. looked out of place at a top club like chelsea, and hasnt looked great or anything like a game changing player for england either. unlike lennon.

 

good deal all round considering money is no object to chelsea.

[Dokko]

Another 'lets wank over tottenham' thread posted by MJ in the NUFC forum.  :roll:

[indi]

Another 'lets wank over tottenham' thread posted by MJ in the NUFC forum.  :roll:

 

It may be called the NUFC forum, but you can post about anything football related in here TT.

[Dokko]

Another 'lets wank over tottenham' thread posted by MJ in the NUFC forum.  :roll:

 

It may be called the NUFC forum, but you can post about anything football related in here TT.

 

Should be called the 'MJ Spurs transfer section forum'

 

Fuk this Newcastle lark.

[toontownman]

SWP's is a much better player than Lennon IMO. Tabloid garbage.

 

SWP's has taken two steps backward since joining Chelsea which is a great shame. He has a much better eye for goal than Lennon and on form is just as penetrating when on form, Id also say he has a better cross.

 

Lennon is certainly the player of the moment though. Get SWP's on form and there is a clear winner for me though.

 

[Delima]

Definitely a deal for me. Like what Imperio say, the money could be channeled to buy a left winger (N'Zogbia, Downing), giving the team a much better balance while still retaining the potent threat on the right.

[Skirge]

If Lennon has anty hopes at all of making it as a top player,  he will refuse point blank to go  to Chelski.

[Sparks]

Seems like a good deal for Tottenham. Lennon has potential, but like most young wingers has next to nil end product, especially infront of goal. Any young player with some skills and flair is massively overated in England, just goes to show how we have lagged behind in terms of technical ability.

[Cajun]

Dismissed:

 

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=427055&CPID=8&clid=8&lid=3&title=Jose+rejects+Lennon+link

 

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has rejected talk linking the club with a move for Tottenham's Aaron Lennon.

 

Widespread reports over the weekend suggested Chelsea were lining up a mega-money bid for the England international.

 

Lennon has established himself as one of the brightest prospects in England in the last 18 months.

 

The former Leeds youngster showed his class in scoring Tottenham's winner against Chelsea on Sunday.

 

Despite his impressive showing against Chelsea Mourinho insists he has no plans to try and sign the jet-heeled winger.

 

"No, completely not interested," said Mourinho when asked of the Lennon speculation.

 

"The boy is good, but we have no interest in buying or changing anything.

 

"Our interest is to keep Shaun Wright-Phillips - who was supposedly involved in any deal. No way. It's not true."

 

[STM]

Weird. A was just thinking about what a good little player Lennon was earlier, my second thought was how long it will take chelsea to swoop. However, the papers probably are also speculating.

 

Lennon would probably fit in to Man Utd's style of play more than Chelsea.

[Martin Lol]

Weird. A was just thinking about what a good little player Lennon was earlier, my second thought was how long it will take chelsea to swoop. However, the papers probably are also speculating.

 

Lennon would probably fit in to Man Utd's style of play more than Chelsea.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you tbh.  Having said that, I am assured that, whatever Mourinho says, an approach has been  made.  I also understand that Defoe has today verbally requested a move in January and will be putting it in writing this week.

[Cajun]

Weird. A was just thinking about what a good little player Lennon was earlier, my second thought was how long it will take chelsea to swoop. However, the papers probably are also speculating.

 

Lennon would probably fit in to Man Utd's style of play more than Chelsea.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you tbh.  Having said that, I am assured that, whatever Mourinho says, an approach has been  made.  I also understand that Defoe has today verbally requested a move in January and will be putting it in writing this week.

 

Off to a feeder club I hope.

[Dave]

Could we still end up with Defoe?

[Martin Lol]

Weird. A was just thinking about what a good little player Lennon was earlier, my second thought was how long it will take chelsea to swoop. However, the papers probably are also speculating.

 

Lennon would probably fit in to Man Utd's style of play more than Chelsea.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you tbh.  Having said that, I am assured that, whatever Mourinho says, an approach has been  made.  I also understand that Defoe has today verbally requested a move in January and will be putting it in writing this week.

 

Off to a feeder club I hope.

 

We could send him back to his roots at the Valley and take Darren Bent of their hands. bluebiggrin.gif

 

Very long odds that he would be welcomed back with open arms though. :lol:

[STM]

I was always of the impression that SWP was destined for Arsenal because of the Wright connection. Can't really see that now because we all know how well Arsenal and Chelsea get on when it comes to transfers. Maybe Arsenal will swoop for Lennon, would go down to well with the natives mind.

 

P.S I'd much prefer Keane to Defoe. 

[Martin Lol]

I was always of the impression that SWP was destined for Arsenal because of the Wright connection. Can't really see that now because we all know how well Arsenal and Chelsea get on when it comes to transfers. Maybe Arsenal will swoop for Lennon, would go down to well with the natives mind.

 

P.S I'd much prefer Keane to Defoe. 

 

If it hadn't been Chelsea's strategy of 'we'll sign him because we don't want you to have him', SWP would be a scummer now.  Not convinced Wenger would still want him.  Don't think Lennon is going anywhere for the forseeable tbh and certainly not to the other lot.  He's built up a good rapport with Ricardo Moniz (the skills coach) and Davids who is instilling the right thinking into his play.  Strong rumours still that Davids will join the coaching staff next year.

[Mowen]

What SWP did at Man City was so far superior to anything Lennon's done it's ridiculous. Don't believe it myself, but if true and Spurs didn't bite their hands off, I'd be astounded.

[STM]

SWP was awesome at Man City a real contender for player of the year. He seems to have lost so much convidence in himself. He needs a move, where he is getting games. My guess would be Spurs, Liverpool or us. Mourinho knows how good he is and won't want Man Utd or Arsenal to get a hold of him.