Rafael Van der Vaart to become Free Agent in the summer..

[RuislipSpur]

No thank you.

I love the guy, but I wouldn't want him to come back and do a Robbie Keane, destroying his legacy in such a short space of time.

 

[melih69]

jesus, no way. he is finished. he has had an absolutely horrible last couple of years at hamburg. he is done. won't last 45 minutes in the EPL anymore, let alone in Poch's system.

 

[wooderz]

For all those that said no...

 

[225]

To put it simply, I don't think we should be going for players who are 32 and not deemed good enough for a team in what is effectively the relegation zone of a league weaker than our own.

To put it another way, we are missing experience and wise heads in our dressing room. We brought Davids in at 32, Ferdinand in his 30's, Friedel in at 86 years old ......

The Naybet example is a good one here - would you swap him for Ade? I would. He could offer so much to Mason, Bentaleb, Kane, Eriksen and Lamela in terms of experience and footballing guile.


No question I'd take him, on the basis that he play a role similar to Lampard at City this season

 

[nasescoba1985]

For all those that said no...

Even better video and gives me goosebumps every single time



I would take an older Rafa over the lazy **** that is Adebayor any day of the week. Don't see a problem in having Rafa as back up. Bring him home levy.

 

[benski]

If he was happy with less playing time he could be invaluable for our youngsters and embedding them with that winning mentality.

If we manage to shift all the deadwood this summer we need a few experienced born winners in the squad a la Davids and Naybet signings. Love the man

 

[JerryGarcia]

VDV would not come back to play the same role as before, he'd be more of a support player. If we could make it work with Ledders then it can work for Rafa, not to mention he would command the instant respect of all the other players.

 

[Lufti]

To put it another way, we are missing experience and wise heads in our dressing room. We brought Davids in at 32, Ferdinand in his 30's, Friedel in at 86 years old ......

The Naybet example is a good one here - would you swap him for Ade? I would. He could offer so much to Mason, Bentaleb, Kane, Eriksen and Lamela in terms of experience and footballing guile.


No question I'd take him, on the basis that he play a role similar to Lampard at City this season

You're missing the point. It's not just about his age. It's about how he's just not that good anymore, how he has lost a lot of fitness and how he isn't suited to the way we play. The examples you've offered are all completely different. The players you mentioned were still good players, and ones who were out of contract were out of contract at big clubs. Van der Vaart is no longer wanted, and no longer plays a significant part at a club who is fighting to stay in the Bundesliga. How can that transpire to a top four aspiring club in a stronger league wanting that same player?

Besides, don't let him tarnish the great memories he's left here.

 

[nasescoba1985]

Love him. His passion alone would be a major asset plus he still oozes class and pace was never his best attribute anyway. He certainly wouldn't be 1st choice but as back up then hell yes. You only have to look at chelsea with Drogba and City with lampard to know it can help the team

 

[DaSpurs]

Guys I've watched just about every Hamburg game this season, and believe me when I say you don't want him back on the pitch for us. Most Hamburg fans don't even want him on the pitch for their relegation-threatened BuLi side anymore. God bless him for all the memories and he's always been a favorite of mine, but he just simply has an accelerated aging process and has become so slow and past it. I'd be surprised if he were even willing to come back and train in Pochettino's fitness regime at this point, let alone all to barely even play. And for the wages we'd have to pay him (even if he took a sizable cut), it's just not worth it.

 

[Lufti]

For all those that said no...

Sorry if this sounds harsh but that's kind of ridiculous, I don't get what the point in posting the video is. We all know how good he was, but that's past tense. I can throw in a montage of Pele from when he was good, but it doesn't mean that we should sign him in his current state. Look at Gerrard's situation with Liverpool for example..

 

[avonspurs]

For all those that said no...

Lets post a video of Ade when he scored some goals so we can all pine about how we want him back in the starting 11.

 

[mpickard2087]

Absolutely no. Some people really need to let go and stop living in the past.

 

[fuzzylogic]

Loved him even before he played for us, I was over the moon and had the home strip with his name on the back, the first time I have ever done that and still haven't done it since. I was devastated when we sold him, he was so passionate and the fans could relate to that a bit like kane is doing now. Would I want him back? I don't think so even though my heart says yeah, my head says no.

 

[michaelden]

Former Tottenham star Rafael Van der Vaart is to become a free agent this summer after his current club Hamburg confirmed they wouldn’t be renewing his contract at the end of the season.

The Dutch playmaker became a huge fan favourite during his two year stay at White Hart Lane before leaving the Lilywhites in the summer transfer window of 2012 to return to Hamburg, a team he played with three years previously before joining Real Madrid in 2008.

Despite a initially successful comeback, keeping the Bundesliga side in the German top flight, Hamburgs Director of Sport Dietmar Beiersdorfer has now confirmed both the 32 year-old and fellow team-mate Marcell Jansen will be searching for a new challenge in the upcoming transfer window.

“Rafael and Marcell know that we are not going to hold any talks with them over contract extensions.” Beiersdorfer said on his club’s website.

“With Heiko and Slobodan, we’ve left it open. We’ve postponed a decision and told the players this.

“The players have assured us that ensuring Hamburg avoid relegation is the absolute priority and that they will put everything into this.”

Van der Vaart has scored four times in 18 appearances this campaign and is now being linked with a move back to his first professional club in Ajax or a transfer to America, joining former Tottenham players such as Robbie Keane and Clint Dempsey in Major League Soccer.
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Thoughts? If he was available for nothing in the summer and we could keep him fit, is he worth having back at the club? I loved him at the club and he is a personal favourite of mine, think he is a truly special player.

Is it maybe worth offering a deal as a player/coach? Think he could work wonders with Eriksen and people, a great guy to have around the club, not to mention he is adored by the fans!

If I win tonight's lottery I'm buying him for Brentford!

 

[michaelden]

Absolutely no. Some people really need to let go and stop living in the past.

But we won the double don't you know!

 

[mill]

Love the bloke but too old now I think with his injury and fitness history.

With him leaving though could seal the Holtby deal, if it isn't already

 

[chinaman]

Love him but that ship has sailed.
Struggling to keep up two years ago
and Poch likes ´em young and malleable.

Nice piece of management speak
the 32 year-old will be searching for a new challenge in the upcoming transfer window.

Does malleable mean supple? If so, young and supple would suit Wenger more.

 

[chinaman]

If I win tonight's lottery I'm buying him for Brentford!

Which means we can have a free hand to sign him. No offence mate.

 

[parklane1]

No.