Strange, amazing: Wesley Sneijder ready to join Spurs?

Even though we linked to this story in the Premier League Boxing Day preview, it deserves a post of its own. It’s not everyday a player like Wesley Sneijder is rumored to be on the move.

That he’s moving from Internazionale isn’t surprising. The team has frozen him out in an effort to get the player to voluntarily reduce his wages, though in order for the Dutch international to come in line with Inter Milan’s expectations, he’d have to reduce his compensation by 30 percent. Currently making just short of $159,000 per week (afte taxes), Sneijder is thought to be the highest earner in the Italian game.

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Sneijder would have to really want to stay in Milan to capitulate to such demands, especially considering the club’s strong-armed tactics practically beg him to leave. With Anzhi Makhachkala, Manchester City, and Manchester United still linked to the 28-year-old, Sneijder has plenty of potential suitors who could keep him in a similar wage bracket.

Not to mention the fact it’s unclear Sneijder, for all his obvious quality, makes Inter a better team. Head coach Andrea Stramaccioni has moved away from systems that depend on the attacking midfielder. To insert him into the plans would risk throwing the squad out of balance.

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Add in the fact Sneijder’s still Champions League eligible (Inter having failed to qualify for the competition this season) and the former Nerazzurri linchpin looks destined to leave Inter during the January window.

That he was linked with Spurs  by a prominent Italian journalist is the big surprise:

Here the big market news:Sneijder agreed deal with Tottenham,and ready to move London asap.Waiting for Inter and Spurs to agree terms

—
Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) December 25, 2012

The personal terms should have been the most difficult part of this deal. That they may already be done is amazing enough, but with Spurs of all squads?

Tottenham is not known for paying high wages. At least, their wage structure doesn’t allow them to pay at the level of Manchester City or Chelsea. With Sneijder available, it’s unlikely they could offer terms near those of the Manchester clubs. If they were to get Sneijder, either their policies will have changed or Sneijder’s desperation to get out of Inter will leave a lot of money on the table. In addition to the wage cut, London is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

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As Palmeri noted later on his Twitter timeline, a lot could still go wrong with the deal, but even the basis for it looks thin. If the move were to happen (which would require Spurs and Inter agreeing on a transfer fee), the hype surrounding the transfer would end up far less compelling than the dirty details. Either Spurs will have made a shift regarding what they’re willing to compensate players or Sneijder will have hit the eject button before finding a cushier landing spot.