A closer look at the friendship between Real Madrid and Tottenham as they both set sights on midfield target

On the 27^th August last year Tottenham announced a partnership with Real Madrid. The statement read that “The agreement will see the two Clubs working together in respect of players, coaching, best practices and commercial relationships.”

As faithful companions go, Real have turned out to be more Chris Brown than Lassie and their rumoured chase of Spurs target Paulinho is likely to bring this young marriage to a head.

The north London side would already have been well within their rights to have quoted Janet Jackson and ask their Spanish suitor “What have you done for me lately?”

The undesired attention foisted onto Gareth Bale would have been enough to have raised doubts as to the long term suitability of Madrid as a spouse.

The unsubtle nature of their pursuit and the continued flirtations of Madrid affiliates with a view to luring the Welshman to the Bernabeu, have been indicative of a couple on completely different wavelengths.

It’s possible that when both parties entered into this alliance there was some miscommunication regarding what was on the table, when Spurs agreed to “working together in respect of players” they may have anticipated first dibs on Real’s promising youth crop for loans or something more serious, Real could have viewed it as we get your best players.

It wouldn’t be the first liaison where following courtship one or both of the participants read the signs wrong.

The reputed interest of the Madridista’s in Paulinho began to surface immediately after the confirmation of Carlo Ancelotti as new Real coach.

Despite no direct quotes or substantiation of any kind, the reports have suggested that the former Milan, Chelsea and Paris St Germain boss is an admirer of the Brazilian.

It is however more likely that this is Real’s latest ploy and they will try to utilise it as some sort of bargaining tool, the old you give us Bale and we’ll put our fake Paulinho deal on hold, trick.

I’m not sure what Spurs have so far got out of this year long Iberian infatuation, to an outside observer like me; it would appear frankly not a lot.

Like the Walker Brothers said “Breaking up is so very hard to do” but sometimes it’s the only answer when the bond has been broken and you clearly want different things.

Allen Whyte

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