IN AN attempt to avoid ever being caught at sixes and sevens again, Tottenham went one over the nine yesterday when they signed the Swiss international defender Ram on Vega for £3.7 million.
The move takes Gerry Francis's spending to more than £9 million in just over a month as he and the Spurs chairman, Alan Sugar, attempt to improve the team's poor form and damaged credibility following heavy defeats by Bolton and Newcastle, and last weekend's injury-hit FA Cup exit to Manchester United.
"This signing shows we've got ambition," said the manager, responding to criticism from supporters that Sugar is more concerned with a tidy balance sheet than a successful team.
Vega, signed on a 4-and-a-half-year, £15,000-a-week deal from Cagliari, joins two other big-money arrivals, the £2.6 million defender John Scales and the £2.5 million Norwegian striker Stefan Iversen.
More signings are expected, with Liverpool's Jamie Redknapp and the Bulgarian defender Radostin Kishishev top of the wanted list.
Francis is likely to play 25-year-old Vega alongside Scales and So Campbell in a back three, hoping to tighten the defence enough to rescue the season by securing a UEFA Cup place in the league.
"Vega could be our Tony Adams," said Francis, who has been chasing the defender since his impressive display against England in Euro '96.
At first, Cagliari refused to sell until this summer, but given their disappointing season, changed their minds.
"Ramon is a good organiser and talker and has great ability in the air," said Francis. "It would have been nice to have had him at the start of the season, but if you really want players you have to keep at it. It shows we want to challenge,, the top teams for honours.
Francis obviously did a good selling job on Vega, who admitted that he was persuaded to ignore Leeds' interest by what his new manager told him. Goodness knows what that was, for Vega then added: "I am very pleased to be joining one of the best teams in Europe."
He went on: "I had a very good six months in Italy, but it's a real pleasure for me to play for Spurs. It's the biggest club I've ever played for and the Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world."
