OPINION
When Tottenham Hotspur’s financial results for the 2016/17 season were released on Tuesday, one major detail emerged that has turned heads in a big way.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy’s salary had increased from £2.84million to £6.013million, making him easily the highest-paid executive in the Premier League last year.
In fact, Levy’s massive annual wage saw him rake in around double the next-highest earner, with his increase reportedly down to bonuses for delivering the new stadium and a club-record turnover.
Now, as reported by The Times, news of Levy’s massive increase has ruffled a few feathers in the Tottenham dressing room, with players outraged that it has come at a time when the chairman is urging players to accept below-average wages.
The newspaper claim that Spurs have refused to meet the salary demands of Toby Alderweireld and Mousa Dembele recently, with tense negotiations focused around the club’s low wage ceiling.
To put Levy’s salary into context, the Tottenham chairman earned around £115,000-a-week last season, which is more than the basic salary of the club’s top earners.
Now, while this may seem excessive, and players’ attitudes towards the news may be understandable, Levy is worth every penny to Tottenham at the moment.
He is the man that has manoeuvred the club into a position where they have been able to afford a brilliant new stadium while remaining highly-competitive on the pitch.
He is the man who brought Mauricio Pochettino to the club, and the man that has stuck by the Argentine during some tough times, particularly early on in his tenure.
He is the man who is delivering record-breaking financial results for the club year-on-year, and the one keeping them financially healthy in an age of gluttony and overspending.
And, while fans may blame Levy for the club’s failure to push on and win silverware in recent years, it is easy to forget where Spurs were when Levy took over.
Levy became chairman in 2001, with Spurs finishing in 12th that season. Since then, the club slowly progressed to UEFA Cup qualification, then entry to the Champions League, with them now being regulars in Europe’s premier club competition.
All that progress on the pitch cannot be achieved without stability off it, and Levy is the man who has single-handedly turned Tottenham into the successful side they are today.
While new questions are emerging over the sustainability of Tottenham’s low wage ceiling, Levy will no doubt manage to find a solution that works for the club, as he has always done so before.
So, is Levy worth that £6.013million splurge to Tottenham? Absolutely, he is worth every single penny.