Guest TulseHill8T8 Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...amp;ito=newsnowThe Frenchman who is set to be Tottenham's first summer signing has admitted that bitter rivals Arsenal are his dream team. Younes Kaboul, a centre back who is captain of France's Under-21s, will move to White Hart Lane from Auxerre within the next few days for about ã8million.He will provide increased competition to a backline that eventually cracked under the weight of Spurs' combined UEFA Cup and FA Cup challenge last season, but the 21-year-old may regret a comment he made in an interview last summer. Asked who were the club of his dreams, Kaboul said "Arsenal". Gunners fans will also be keen to wind up their neighbours with what the Frenchman said when it became clear he had emerged as a leading target for Europe's elite."I am young and ambitious," said Kaboul. "I want to play for another club. But my eyes aren't bigger than my belly, I don't want to join too big a club."Yet for all the mickey-taking, Spurs will consider the capture of Kaboul a coup.They have beaten a string of top European clubs to sign a defender, who claimed that Arsenal, Chelsea and Valencia all enquired about him last summer.Kaboul, who is just about to complete his third season as a first-team regular, is the latest in the long conveyor belt of talent produced by Auxerre that includes Eric Cantona, Djibril Cisse, Abou Diaby, Philippe Mexes and Jean-Alain Boumsong.The youth-team graduate joined the French side as a 14-year-old and was handed his first-team debut at 17 by the club's legendary former coach Guy Roux.Leading Premiership clubs began to take notice of 6ft 3in Kaboul's assured performances at centre-half last season, which, coupled with his goal threat from set-pieces, made him an attractive proposition.Former Spurs manager Jacques Santini also played a pivotal role in Kaboul's development before the ex-France boss was sacked by Auxerre last summer and replaced by current coach Jean Fernandez, who is a big admirer of the young defender.He said: "It was inevitable he would move on and the best place for him is England, where he could make a huge impact."He has the potential to become a real star. People say he is only 21, but they should realise he has been considered a first-team player here since he was 17."Kaboul said last night that he was ready to make the leap into a foreign league."I have reached an age where I want to progress and see something else. I want a change," he told French radio. "The English championship really interests me. I want to play in this league."Tottenham are a very good club, who want to do something. Nothing has been done yet but we are talking about a contract for four or five years."Kaboul, who is of Moroccan descent, could have played for France or Morocco at international level. He was born in the small town of Saint-Julien-en-Genevois in the French Alps but his parents hail from Casablanca."I go back there each year," he said. "All my family live over there besides my parents so it is necessary that I get to know the area."I follow the matches of the Moroccan national team but everyone knows the difference between Morocco and France in the level of their play."Also, I was contacted first by France. Therefore, for all of that, I chose France."Kaboul, who names Rio Ferdinand as his role model, is considered an imposing centre-half who is strong in the air and smooth on the deck.He is sure to get plenty of chances at White Hart Lane next season, even though he effectively joins Spurs as their fourth senior centre half behind Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Ricardo Rocha.Manager Martin Jol will not need reminding of King's recent injury record or how Spurs' twin assaults on the UEFA Cup and FA Cup last season came to a halt as their squad failed to cope with a torrent of fixtures.The Dutchman was even forced to use full-backs Pascal Chimbonda and Paul Stalteri as emergency centrehalves and, with another elongated UEFA campaign on the horizon after Spurs finished fifth in last season's Premiership, Jol will be delighted to have bolstered his resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsonist Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 Heard this a week ago still.Take it with a pinch of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gundam Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 One game against Arsenal and he will hate them like the rest of the team, trust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TF/S4DK Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 Lmao.I heard the Auxerre fans are absolutely delighted they got 8 rising to 11 million for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mp* Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 They have beaten a string of top European clubs to sign a defenderThis is what I mean!! Almost every time spurs sign a player it seems as if they have "beaten" top European clubs to the signature, almost always including Arsenal *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBK Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 The next Dean Richards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murderous Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 One game against Arsenal and he will hate them like the rest of the team, trust.Chimbonda? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 Heard this a week ago still.Take it with a pinch of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquaman Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 yh this bre loves arsenalu noticed the next generation of players all wanna play for arsenal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Dot Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 I don't remember hearing a whole load of youngsters wanna play for Arsenal, who you talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojo Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 yh this bre loves arsenalu noticed the next generation of players all wanna play for arsenal?U noticed none of them are English? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ryan Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 What you mean like Micah Richards wanting to play for Arsenal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8BALL Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Lol at this complete boyage of Tottenham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsonist Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 One game against Arsenal and he will hate them like the rest of the team, trust.Chimbonda?Was a false report from a chelsea fan site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The King Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 when Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry eventually leave no one will want to play for Arsenal. Im mean honestly, name one other player whho would make you want to sign for them? Gilberto Silva? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TF/S4DK Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Thats such a nonsense comment.I swear Dennis Bergkamp joined us before Wenger or Henry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Thats such a nonsense comment.I swear Dennis Bergkamp joined us before Wenger or Henry...David Dein was paying him the sort of money back then that Premiership players are getting paid now. Dennis Bergkamp is the reason players in the italian like joke about coming to the Premiership to earn their pension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadinho Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Lol at this complete boyage of Tottenham. lmao lmaosigning a French under-21 regular to strengthen a weak positionwhat a boyage!f*cking idiots I swear.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Libertine Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Lmao.I heard the Auxerre fans are absolutely delighted they got 8 rising to 11 million for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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