Tottenham Hotspur sign Willaim Gallas
English Premier club, Tottenham Hotspur are close to signing the former Arsenal defender William Gallas on a free transfer. Gallas’ contract at Arsenal ran out at the end of last season and he was not offered a new one, so he is now a free agent and will obviously not cost Spurs anything.
The French defender went through a medical to complete the move, the personal terms between the player and the club had already been agreed upon. The deal is believed to be for one year, and there is an option to extend it by an year after the contract runs out.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said that he did not have to think much before deciding to offer Gallas a contract. He said in simple terms it was a pure no-brainer, he added that it is not every day that you can get your hands on an experienced man like Gallas on a free transfer. Redknapp said that he had always admired Gallas and had him under radar as soon as he knew that he was to end his contract with Arsenal at the end of last season.
Harry Redknapp said that Tottenham has never been a club that believes in big buys, and we are always in for a good bargain. He said having a player like Gallas on free transfer is like an early Christmas gift and he has no doubts that he will add great value to his team. He said that even the wages agreed upon by Gallas are more than reasonable so it is a win win situation for the club and the player.
The fact that Harry is so pleased about the wages agreed by Gallas is also an indication that he may have taken a pay cut. While he was offered a new contract at Arsenal that also included a pay cut, he refused to take the offer and chose to leave the club.
Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger said that the club is very thankful for all his services and wishes him all the best in his future. Wenger added that it is hard to find a man with such experience and understanding of the game, and it wil be great to compete against him in derby matches as he has chosen to stay in London. Wenger said that Gallas left Arsenal on mutual consent and there was a contract waiting for him, but he chose not to take it and that was his own choice.
William Gallas certainly loved London, this is his 3rd club here and he has now spent 9 years. First he was with Chelsea for 5 years, and was swapped when Ashley Cole went the other way 4 seasons ago.
Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp said that he is not bothered by his connection to London, and in fact said that having such inside information and experience of playing with big clubs will help the team.
Redknapp said that the rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham is fierce, but that does not mean that he will have any problems at White Hart Lane. He said that he is a professional player and he has the right to move wherever he likes. He added that clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona have a rivalry that goes back decades, but still players move between both clubs. So it will not be a problem at all he said.
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