French mover and shaker with Levy at Tottenham game this week, after successful talks

 

The aftermath of the Clinton N’Jie and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou transfers could, and maybe should, have been that Tottenham and Marseille weren’t overly enamoured with each other, but the tough talking on both sides seems to have created an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Gunter Jacob took over Marseille’s talks half way through the deal, and earlier this week he told La Provence: “I was brought in when it was pretty much all done. N’Koudou had passed his medical, as had N’Jié. When I’m asked to make decisions and sign things, I’m happy to take responsibility, I don’t hide, but I don’t sign things I’m not happy with. They were legal and financial details.

“I gave my opinion to the supervisory board, who agreed. Mr Levy wasn’t very happy, but we got through it. We have a good relationship now. I wished him good luck with the league, as he did to me, and we’re still in touch. He did, however, tell me: “Never do that to me again”. I told him that next time I hoped to start the negotiations from the start to not have to do them over.”

The man who started the talks with Tottenham for Marseille is Vincent Labrune, former sporting director at Marseille, and now thought to be considering another important job in French football.

Even Labrune, who seems to be getting some of the blame over the protracted talks, has remained in touch with Daniel Levy, and L’Equipe say he attended Tottenham’s match against AS Monaco with the Spurs chief.

Maybe after both clubs dragged the other side right to the edge of a mental breakdown over the summer, a kinship seems to have developed.