REPORT: Robertson to Spurs off – for now

It’s one which’s over nearly as rapidly because it begun. Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer for Liverpool Andy Robertson is now reportedly not on the desk:

Initially damaged by Paul Joyce at The Occasions, the report has now been adopted up by the likes of Alasdair Gold at Soccer.London and David Ornstein at The Athletic, with all of them saying the identical factor: Liverpool have pulled the plug on a transfer – however that doesn’t imply a transfer nonetheless can’t occur.

As a lot as Spurs are struggling for depth, the Liverpool brass aren’t prepared to sacrifice their very own, hoping to recall Greek defender Kostas Tsimikas from his mortgage at Roma to make up numbers. Beginning left again Milos Kerkez was pulled at half-time within the Reds’ match towards Bournemouth on Saturday as Arne Slot tried to handle his load, and Joe Gomez has picked an damage, that means Liverpool aren’t precisely flush with defensive choices proper now.

Roma, nonetheless, have at this stage rejected the recall, at the moment unable to discover a appropriate alternative. Why they can say “no” is anybody’s guess; there could possibly be clauses that penalize Liverpool in case of an unsanctioned recall, or maybe Liverpool simply don’t wish to injury a club-to-club relationship in a transfer that might have long-term ramifications simply to promote any person who’s seen as a membership stalwart at Anfield. This does point out although that if Roma discover any person to step in, Robertson’s switch to Spurs might nonetheless occur.

It’s the most recent in a protracted sequence of failures in Johan Lange’s switch enterprise, and although as soon as extra circumstances are largely out of Spurs’ management, the necessity for left again depth has been a urgent want for a while; a necessity that has been solely exacerbated by Ben Davies’ ankle damage. Was Robertson the appropriate possibility? He’s a strong participant who has passing means, good expertise, and wouldn’t value a ton; however it’s important to suppose there are higher choices on the market who gained’t command as giant a wage and that aren’t of their early 30’s.

Whether or not Lange (and Spurs) will signal a kind of in January is one other query that is still to be answered.