The deal is subject to Mido passing a medical and agreeing terms but all the noises from the player and his agent are positive, and the deal represents a great bit of business for Spurs, who have managed to get a £1.5m profit on a player who failed to make an impact after falling out of favour with Martin Jol last season. The club have also recouped a large amount of the fee paid for Darren Bent, which is now looking a tidy bit of business.
As the club finally look to be moving some of the dead wood out of the squad, it looks likely that Hossam Ghaly, Mido's even more erratic countryman, will be joining the cumbersome forward at Birmingham, with both clubs close to agreeing a £3m fee, which will also represent a small profit for the club. £9m for a fifth choice striker and a midfielder who can't pass? Well done Mr Levy.
As for whether I am sad to see either player go...well I can't say that I am. Mido arrived in the Premiership with Tottenham with one of the most exciting debuts I've seen from a new Tottenham acquisition in recent years, single handedly destroying Portsmouth with two goals and an array of tricks. The high point of his Tottenham career probably came during the Christmas of 2005 when he and Keane, in Defoe's absence, formed a formidable partnership in a run that saw us establish ourselves in the top four of the table. However, though derogatory comments about the ability of former Spur Sol Campbell may have won him many fans in the stands before last seasons game against Pompey at White Hart Lane, Martin Jol was less impressed. After these comments, and a fantastic goal against West Ham, Mido was seen less and less in the lillywhite of Tottenham, and when he did make a rare appearance, it was clear that he was overweight and out of form. In the end, his erratic attitude to training was probably his downfall though no one can doubt that when fit, he was a determined and committed player who loved the fans.
As for Hossam Ghaly, the tale is rather similar, if not the impact he had. The Eqyptian midfielder will not be remembered too fondly in the minds of many Spurs fans, who will forever conjure up images of Ghaly's disgraceful antics against Blackburn at the Lane, where he threw his shirt at Martin Jol after being substituted during a typically frustrating performance. Though abuse from fans didn't help him and Ghaly's effort and determination should have afforded him a little more patience from the stands, at his current level of ability, he is not the sort of player who can push us into the top four. Where the level of football dictates the extreme importance of keeping possession, Ghaly broke down move after move will poor passing and panicking on the ball. For his goal against Chelsea, however, he will at least be remembered fondly by a few more forgiving members of the Tottenham faithful.
If these two transfers do go through, Danile Levy and the board can sit back with satisfaction that the club have managed to make a profit on two of it's most frustrating players, a profit that should now be used to purchase that elusive left winger we've all been craving after. Morten Gamst Pedersen anyone?