Poor Alan Hutton. The highly-rated Glasgow Rangers defender has made it abundantly clear that he wants to stay in Scotland, only to find he’ll be sold to Spurs regardless of his views. The Times report that Gers chairman Sir David Murray has met with the Scottish international to point out the various benefits of the transfer, which happens to include the princely sum of £8 million into the coffers at Ibrox.
Asked about the Hutton situation yesterday, Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, was forced to choose his words carefully. “Alan’s initial indication to us was that he has turned [Spurs] down, that he wants to stay here,” Smith said. “So that’s where we are right now.
“When you look at clubs at the present moment, there is the financial aspect and the football aspect to consider. Everybody knows the Rangers financial position isn’t what it was a few years ago, but no one at the club wanted to lose Alan. From a football perspective, nobody wanted him to go.
“But when you get offered that type of money, then you are in a situation where, from a financial point of view, it is acceptable. As I say, nobody wants to lose Alan from a football perspective – and I include the chairman in that – but sometimes the financial part can overtake everything. That’s the reason why the offer was acceptable as a bid. In the meantime, though, we are delighted if Alan has decided to stay.”
You can hardly blame Hutton for being reluctant to up sticks and head down to London, especially when it’s forming part of a Tottenham defence which is one of the most porous in the Premier League. However, it’s a sure sign that Spurs are trying to get their act together defensively, with Juande Ramos continually frustrated by the type of goals his team are conceding on a regular basis.
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