Revealed: Levy the driving force as unexpected £19m Tottenham player deal agreed
Daniel Levy was the driving force behind the surprise new contract handed by Tottenham to Moussa Sissoko, Football Insider understands.
Spurs announced on Friday that the France international had put pen to paper on a new four-year contract that tie him to the club until he is 34.
A Tottenham source has told Football Insider that Levy pushed for Sissoko to be handed a deal worth around £90,000-a-week in what is a clear policy change.
The long-time chairman has previously been reluctant to authorise anything other than short-term deals to players who have turned 30.
Sissoko reached that milestone in the middle of last month and Tottenham supporters are shocked he has got a four-year contract, worth £19million, at a time when so many key players have been unable to agree extensions.
Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen are all free agents at the end of the season and can agree pre-contracts with overseas clubs from January.
Sissoko was a fringe player in his first two seasons at White Hart Lane following his £30million transfer in the summer of 2016.
But he ignited his Spurs career with an outstanding 2018-19 campaign and was one of the key players in the Champions League run that ended in final defeat to Liverpool.
The Frenchman has also been a key man this season, starting all seven of the London giants' Premier League matches.