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Tottenham clinch Sebastien Bassong signing
07.08.09
Tottenham have bolstered their defence with the signing of Sebastien Bassong from Newcastle.
The two clubs agreed a fee believed to be upwards of £8million, with the player penning a long-term contract at White Hart Lane.
The 23-year-old is, however, suspended for the first two games of the new season following his sending-off against Fulham at the end of last term.
A statement on the Spurs website read: "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Newcastle United for the transfer of Sebastien Bassong to the club, following the player successfully completing a medical examination and agreeing personal terms."
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp had been keen to bring in reinforcements at the back, with Michael Dawson set to miss the start of the new season through injury and Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate also doubtful.
"Jonathan Woodgate is struggling and I think he may have to have an operation," Redknapp said earlier this week.
"I think he may have to have another hernia operation. He had one at the end of last season but obviously it has not worked so he may have to go back in again.
"I don't see (Michael Dawson) or Woody being fit for the start of the season.
"We are still looking to improve the squad. If I can still get one or two in to make us strong and if we can do that then it will be good."
Redknapp admitted his admiration of Bassong during his team's pre-season trip to China, saying: "I like Bassong, he is a young player with a good future and a good central defender."
The Frenchman, who is also qualified to play for Cameroon, moved to St James' Park in July 2008 from Metz and made 34 appearances for the Magpies in his debut campaign in England.
Reader views (18)
Anyone see Bassong play on Sunday? Not bad for a guy who signed saturday night, not trained and walked straight in with an assured man of the match performance. Early doors I know but egg on face for Rob I hope as the season progresses, and at £8million if he looked at the bigger picture represents good value for money despite what Newcatle paid. You can keep Hangeland for £15million I am sure Wenger will get better value!!
- Sd, WICKFORD
The more players we have the better the competition for spots............simple! we may have some injury problems but that will all get sorted out. This Kid is a GOOD signing regardless. Big, strong, fast, tough and YOUNG
He will fit right into the plan. This is a strong squad and unless everyone has forgotten we had the best results in the EPL from January through May. So bring on the scousers, I have a front row seat flying back 7,000kms....COYS.
- Coloneyjohn, Vancouver Canada
Rob
You are exactly why spurs fans get a bad press.You must live aq joyless life to be so depressed all the time. Lets look at the positive 2 very good goalkeepers, options at right back the most underrated left back in the Premiership. In midfield lots of options a genuinely world class player in Modric and some excellent kids and finally a battler in Palacios.
Up front 2 England centre forwards a skillful Russian who will have settled at the club and Robbie who will have got over his Liverpool hangover. So we have problems at centre half and you want Philipe Senderos the player so good he was shipped out of the emirites and made 15 yes 15 appearances at Milan and was so good they signed him ... oh no they didnt did they.
Hangeland good player but would cost 12 -15 million .
Bassong is young quick and does posess talent unlike Senderos. He was playing in a team with no midfield appauling full backs and a carthorse of a centre back as his partner.
What im saying is give him a chance and trust in Harry. Also hopefully Ledley, The Daws and Woody will be well soon and Corluka can also play centre half as could the Hudd.
Rob this is the best Spurs TEAM as a whole we have had since the 80's so give the boys your full support stop moaning actually go to a few games and get behind the team. Im all for constructive criticism but you are negative negative negative. Sort yourself out!
- Puppyspurs, London
Rob does not seem to relise that any genuine Spurs fan is not a fellow fan of his.
We are Spurs!!!! NOT GOONERS.
Grow up & stop being so sad!
- Jamie, essex
Well said Rob. The Mags saw Spurs coming with an £8M outlay for a player Wenger tracked but does'nt rate and his performances for NUFC last season reflect that opinion. Nice one Harry...not.
- Sean, Cork, Ireland
Rob, Hangeland is decent but at the prices Fulham are quoting is hardly world class for that value, and as we are not in Europe would be seen as a step down at the moment. Senderos if he was any good for Arsenal would not be sold to Everton. I think Bassong who is young and a good prospect fits in nicely, may not be first choice when Woodgate and Dawson are fit which is also good. I say give him a season and see what happens. I think Redknapp apart from bringing Chimbonda back has not made a bad call yet on signings even with Crouch.
- Sd, WICKFORD
Evs - My thoughts are he didnt do the job for Newcastle & he wont for Tottenham, hence why we were the only club prepared to pay £8 million for him. Forget the tabloid nonsense that Man City & Arsenal were after him, if they were he would have signed for one of them. SD - Simply because he was one of the only options available to us doesnt mean we have to sign him. We all know Ledley is on borrowed time, Woodgate injury prone & Dawson's gung-ho style likely to result in injury. Hence we need two new central defenders... such as Hangeland & Senderos, who would both do a far better job than Bassong, who every time I saw him play for Newcastle was simply woeful. What I fail to understand is why fellow Tottenham fans are so unrealistic, causing the usual misery as we fail to live up to our own expectations. Bassong is simply not a quality centre-half, so why talk him up as though he is the best thing since sliced bread? Would he play for Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea?
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
Bassong is a great signing. Has that steel and unhurried habit of dealing with dangerous situations without panic. Can actually play a bit and head and pass a ball accurately.
Don't know what Rob Gooner wants, Bent shouldn't have been sold he says. Was a great player and Harry is useless. Levy should be tarred and feathered.
Things must be very booring over at the Emirates that the Gooners are enjoying the Spurs blog so much.
Your right on one point Rob. Wait and see. The gooners are about to enter a period of time out of the big four. Wonder who'll replace them.
Come on you Spurs.
- Kevin, London
We desperately need cover and think £8M is a good price for a decent CB. Lots of footballers get sent off and are in poor sides, it doesn't make them a poor players. Come on the Spurs.
- Wayne, Bucks
So what if he misses the first two games, surely we can muster a defence to cover for what is quite obviously a long term signing so really thats the best we can do. He can hardly hit the ground running in a week ready for Liverpool so perhaps thats a good thing. Think you are looking at King's long term replacement so dont criticise the guy before he has even kicked a ball. Least we have someone who is young and addressed the problem long term. So Rob if not Bassong, who else is available wiling to come to us that you can think of or shall we put up with playing Chimbonda alongside Corluka!! Get real and make some decent comments on this one.
- Sd, WICKFORD
IS there any player rob so called hotspur a fan of who plays for spurs,he only cost the toon 500k as he was in the final year of his contract...if he does the job 4 spurs who cares what he did for nufc,and was really too blame for the toon being relegated,i think there was a squad of 15 poor players and even worse management involved there also..
- Evs, herts
Stu, it sounds like you don't play football mate!
Well, that hasn't helped us at all.
It seems when Spurs come knocking we pay anything, ior thats typical Harry...Palacios was bought for very little and now Bassong, god why don't we negoitate ?
- Adrian, london
A simple rule,your ban carries over regardless who you play for,the same it is at all levels...
stu the bexton seems mighty intersted for the goings on at spurs,must be boring being a hammers fan,mind you nothing interesting happens at that feeder club
- Johnsy, finchley...
'Clinched the signing' - Of an extremely overrated player who Metz let go to Newcastle for a paultry £500,000 last season. In 30 league games (including 4 substitute appearances) for Newcastle he has managed to get sent off twice, booked 3 times, scored no goals & get relegated. He managed to play in only 3 winning premiership matches for Newcastle & 13 defeats. I cant quite see what Harry has seen in this player for a reported £8 million fee. Only time will tell...
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
Is that Big Ted or little ted...? Anyway, the story today will be through the square window....
- Mark, St Albans
Presumably, the view is that it is the player who has offended, not the club, so the punishment travels with him.
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, London, England
You can't work out why someone who broke the rules is banned?
Give me strength.
- Stu, Beckton
Can't quite work out why a player who is red-carded with one club has the penalty transferred (the following season) to his new club whom, incidentally, are playing in a different league - and I'm amazed that Spurs (Levy et al) haven't raised the slightest objection before splashing a reported eight million sovs for the guy.
- Ted, London
