As the days go by it looks more and more likely that Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will leave White Hart Lane this January in search of more regular football. Sources like Givemefootball have even suggested that the Russian forward has already agreed terms with Russian club side Lokomotiv Moscow.
Given that he hasn’t started a Premier League game so far this season, this news would hardly come as a surprise. Harry Redknapp seems to prefer to partner Emmanuel Adebayor with either Rafael Van Der Vaart or Jermaine Defoe and these pairings have reaped dividends so far.
With the European Championships on the way Pavlyuchenko has been positively itching for a move away from the club so he can get himself back in contention for the Russian national side.
Tottenham paid £13m for his services back in 2008 when he joined the club from Spartak Moscow. It’s rumoured that Lokomotiv have offered Spurs around £7.7m and it’s unclear whether Harry will be willing to take a loss on this sale. Of course the chance to get Pavlyuchenko off the wage bill will be of huge benefit to the club. This combined with the money Tottenham recoup from his sale could free up funds for further transfers.
Could this money be used to help facilitate Tottenham’s move for Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao? With Adebayor’s future uncertain, it’s clear that Spurs could do with a permanent fix to their striking dilemma. A move for Damiao or even Cologne’s Luka Podolski could be a real force of good for a club that is really going places.
So overall, I’d be more than happy to see the back of Pavlyuchenko. That may sound harsh, but I’m sure that Pav would also be happy to exit the Lane in order to further his career. If the funds from his move can be put towards another top player then all the better.
He’s a talented player, but doesn’t seem to do enough to challenge for a regular starting berth and doesn’t really seem to fit within this Tottenham system. Whilst I hope he rediscovers some form in time for the Euros, I doubt he’ll do this with Tottenham. With that in mind I think it’s best for every party if he does move back to Moscow.
At this stage I trust Harry and if he’s ready to see the back of Pav then so be it. I wish him luck in his future, but Tottenham will move on quickly and will continue to improve.
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