His £12 million capture of Wilson Palacios on a 5 and a half year contract is likely to prove to be one of the biggest bargains that Spurs have ever uncovered.
Forget players such a Tom Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas and Darren Bent who have made White Hart Lane appear like an expensive grave yard for footballers careers, Wilson Palacios will not fall into that category.
A fantastically talented 24 year old, Palacios has made a spectacular impact with the Latics during his twelve months with the club. Signed for £1 million from Honduran club Olimpia, the Magician as he is known in Honduras has been central to our rise up the league table.
Before Christmas, just over one year ago, Wigan Athletic were rooted in the bottom three after a shocking start to the season, that included a run of nine straight league defeats, and many pundits were tipping the club for an overdue relegation.
Signal the arrival of Steve Bruce as manager and Wilson Palacios as the heartbeat of the side.
Despite an inauspicious debut away at Derby County, Palacios soon became a fans favourite at the JJB Stadium. He added a much needed desire to the squad. He was most certainly a raw talent but it was this ruthful lack of respect for superstar names that made him such a hit with the Wigan public.
The second half of that season Wigan were unplayable and picked up enough points to finish well clear of the drop zone. Our run of form included picking up our first ever points against the big four, ever. Whilst spread over the course of a season, our back nineteen games would have been enough to place us sixth in the league.
Fast-forward twelve months to today and the Latics are presently seventh in the Premiership table with a whole host of international talent in their side.
Palacios and Lee Cattermole, the former Middlesbrough midfielder, have formed a formidable partnership in the centre of the field with Luis Antonio Valencia flying on the right flank and Ryan Taylor's set pieces lighting up the left flank.
Clearly the offer of £40,000 a week for five and a half years was too much for Palacios who has doubled his current Wigan salary and has made no secret of his desire to earn.
The move seems to suit all parties. For as much as Steve Bruce won't have wanted to Palacios to leave, £12 million is an awful lot of money, whilst Harry Redknapp will have the midfielder that Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone will never be. Wilson Palacios meanwhile is moving further up (hypothetically speaking) the football pyramid [Spurs presently lie 16th in the table with the Latics in 7th].
The money received from Tottenham (although due over 24 months) will allow Steve Bruce to go out and buy Hugo Rodallega the striker from Necaxa, as well as make offers from Stehpen Hunt of Reading and Micah Ricards and Michael Johnson of Manchester City.
Palacios has a fire and determination to succeed in football, and will remain unfazed by the severe increase in his salary and profile. In a replay of last season, he will arrive at a club in January who are at the wrong end of the table, despite so much pre-season promise. Through hard work and raw talent, he will win over the fans with his equally combative and creative performances, and in the process drag the club away from the foot of the table.
With the cost of relegation estimated at over £40 million, the transfer fee of £12 million for Palacios will no doubt prove to be a bargain.
Good luck Wilson and thank you for a fantastic year.
Paul Farrington
WIGANER.net
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