:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27568085/179198340.0.jpg)
With the potential deal for Etienne Capoue still dragging down on transfer fee negotiations, reports out of Italy indicate that the Frenchman's agent has flown to London in order to see if he can help get things smoothed out. While normally that'd be laughable, the fact that Capoue is represented by so-called "super agent" Mino Raiola lends some credence to the idea.
Raiola is regarded as one of the most powerful football agents out there right now, and he has a number of high-profile clients to his name. Many criticize him for what is seen as money-grabbing moves by him, but the fact remains that he is very, very good at his job: finding the best situation for his clients, for the best money.
For Capoue, that situation was with Tottenham. With his former club, Toulouse, floundering financially and hardly threatening anyone in France's League 1, a move to a hard-charging side in England with a popular, progressive manager was a great idea. There was plenty of playing time to be had, too, with the club's main holding mid, Sandro, still working his way back from a major knee injury.
All of that fell apart in December, though, as a horrible run of matches saw Andre Villas Boas fired and Capoue fall out of favor with his replacement. So now Raiola is searching for a better fit for his client, and apparently he feels that Napoli is that fit. If he can somehow bridge the gap between the sides, more power to him.
It is worth noting, however, that Tottenham sporting director Franco Baldini reportedly flew to Italy yesterday to work on various deals, including one with Inter that could see them bring in Fredy Guarin as a replacement for Capoue. Club president Daniel Levy ran their transfer business before Baldini was hired last summer, however, and has worked with Raiola in the past, so that could be a positive sign for a potential conclusion.
Either way, we're fast running out of time for this to conclude. The transfer deadline is on Friday, so the club either need to wrap this up or move on to other targets very soon, lest they wind up with nothing to show for their work.
