Perhaps, within the space of a day, Tottenham’s transfer window went from being one of the worst to among the best. Maybe at least Daniel Levy spared himself the rage of Antonio Conte, a manager whose frustrations tend to become public very quickly. Certainly Tottenham could view Arsenal’s inability to recruit and contrast it with their two high-calibre recruits, in the bought Rodrigo Bentancur and the borrowed Dejan Kulusevski.
Perhaps Conte was as pleased by the departures. Unsubtle as ever, he signalled his feelings with the teamsheet for Tottenham’s trip to Chelsea. The bench did not contain Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele or Giovani Lo Celso. If Conte had quickly tired of enigmas and underachievers, now each is gone, along with Bryan Gil.
In its own way, that represents an indictment: Ndombele and Lo Celso are the two most expensive signings in Spurs’ history and have been loaned out. While Lyon have an option to buy Ndombele for €65 million, in reality no one will pay that much for him. Nor are Villarreal likely to allow Tottenham to recoup their investment in Lo Celso. Gil feels a swift failure, a seemingly auspicious arrival who only got 86 minutes of Premier League football.
Alli’s case may be the saddest, given the heights he touched in his first two seasons at White Hart Lane. A permanent transfer to Everton is a definitive break, confirmation he cannot return to those levels in a Spurs shirt.
That he left for no initial fee indicates how his star has waned and how Spurs should have sold him sooner. But it also forms part of a broader issue, the breakdown of Tottenham’s midfield as an attacking unit. The Conte clearout has taken in three players who rarely provided the X-factor under him, Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and, Alli apart, Mauricio Pochettino.
In contrast, it is notable he kept his quick wingers, in Lucas Moura and the Ajax target Steven Bergwijn. Reshaping the squad still gives him the choice of both 3-4-3 and 3-5-2. Nevertheless, it is also revealing that the two newcomers are very different from the duo they had initially targeted.
Their window looked a chastening failure when Adama Traore chose Barcelona and Luis Diaz Liverpool instead. Bentancur and Kulusevski are scarcely like-for-like alternatives. There is no attack-minded right wing-back, meaning the limited Emerson Royal will presumably continue there.
Nor is there a prolific scorer to ease the burden on Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. Perhaps neither has the possibility to be as transformative as Diaz. Kulusevski can operate in the front three and was one of Serie A’s most inventive players in 2019-20 but lacks the Colombian’s prolific return.
But they do offer an injection of craft and creativity, along with a combination of pedigree and potential. Conte may see Bentancur as a classier passer than Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp, though it could appear that he is collecting defensive midfielders. The Uruguayan is 24, the Swede, who Tottenham have an option to buy, 21. Each is experienced for his years.
That Tottenham have employed the former Juventus CFO Fabio Paratici as managing director of football always offered the chance they could raid the Italian market; Paratici seems to have returned to his homeland to strike two fine deals.
While Conte can appear a hardliner, he has a track record of moulding midfields and midfielders, with very different players, in imaginative ways, providing they are willing to buy into his work ethic and follow his instructions. He can be brutally decisive and was quick to give up on Ndombele, followed by Lo Celso and Alli, but the club have been quick to dispose of the unwanted. Now Conte’s Tottenham is taking shape.
In pictures: 90 notable January transfers
Company%20Profile
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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Company%20profile
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The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
More from Neighbourhood Watch
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
More from Aya Iskandarani
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
MADAME%20WEB
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Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
