RTL in the Netherlands believe Brexit may well be the issue causing problems on the transfer of Vincent Janssen to Tottenham Hotspur.
They’ve spoken to Dutch professor of sport economics Ruud Koning who said he was surprised Tottenham didn’t get the deal over the line before the EU referendum, knowing the potential currency change.
For all the Dutch professor knows, Tottenham may well have already hedged their bets with Euros prior to the referendum, to minimise any impact it would have on the club.
If they didn’t, perhaps Koning’s words shed some light on the frustrating situation. RTL explain that AZ’s asking price is in Euros, so Tottenham may well have formulated an offer last week, which they’d been led to believe would be accepted, but been asked for more this week.
The latest offer is around €18m, as confirmed by Vincent Janssen himself, and it could be that AZ’s asking price is €20m.
Right now €20m is £16.7m, a week ago it was around £15.3m.
Interestingly, £15m converted at today’s rate works out at a little under €18m.
That may well be the problem: AZ want €20m, Tottenham agreed that, knowing it would cost them around £15m, and then just over half the country voted for Brexit.
Something has to give.