Levy and Tottenham’s handling of the whole affair leaves them in a terrific position:

By paying such wages, Tottenham are also making a statement of intent that they do intend to compete, and will back up the ambition by putting their money where their mouth is. The wage increase would have been a calculated gesture by Levy, as someone with his acumen and insistence on financial prudence would never have commissioned the new deal if it impeded the clubs financial status, but it’s also doubtful that the Modric contract will herald a period of extensive rebuilding.

All involved with Tottenham realise the importance of keeping hold of Modric in terms of his influence and quality to the team and the resonance being able to keep hold of their star players has on the overall kudos of the club. However, this situation is likely to recur in the short-term when, and not if, a sustained interest in Gareth Bale is lodged during the summer or before.

Levy would have little alternative but to offer Bale similar terms if he can once again not blink in the face of ever increasing bids and potential transfer requests, but in the grand scheme of things, the Spurs chairman may well have pulled off a masterstroke by ceding to wage demands.

By paying parity Levy has created a morale tie to the club whereby players can’t claim to want to leave for money. In the cash-centric world of top flight football, £100,000 per week isn’t that much and could easily be usurped by a handful of clubs likely to be interested in Tottenham’s best player. However, by offering these sums at this time to Modric and possibly Bale, he is securing their future for the next two to three seasons at a time when neither player is actively looking for a switch. The timing couldn’t have been any cuter and by breaking from convention, Levy has got his retaliation in first before the future of his two top draws becomes an issue.

On the balance of things, increasing your wage expenses over the course of a year to retain your best players is perhaps a better financial outlay than selling both for inflated sums and then reimbursing that money back into the side on several players who may or may not improve the overall outlook of things from where you were.

Financially this won’t be a gamble for Tottenham and nor should it set a precedent for over-elaborate spending. What it could do is ensure Spurs do business on their terms and control their own fate. Levy has once again proven to be one of the shrewdest Chairmen in football and a key asset to Tottenham’s progression, keeping them on a gradual curve which may not be able to penetrate the sides above them, but makes sure they stay in touch.

Follow John Baines on twitter @bainesyDiego10

Written by John Baines for FootballFanCast.com

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