Why every Tottenham fan should be excited by Alex Morgan joining Spurs

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Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP25 September 2020

Tottenham's capture of Alex Morgan not only ranks as the biggest transfer in WSL history but also one of the biggest deals in the history of the entire club.

Morgan's thunder may have been stolen by Gareth Bale but the two-time World Cup winner still takes her place alongside the Welshman as one of Tottenham's most iconic signings, despite joining a women's side that only turned professional last year.

A household name across the pond, the USA international has 1 million more followers on Twitter than her men's team counterpart Harry Kane, who captains England, and more Instagram followers than Tottenham.

The significance of the deal is not lost on the club, who erected a billboard announcing her arrival in Leicester Square and released an announcement video which has over 100,000 views on YouTube.

Spurs have already faced a barrage of media interest and head-coaches Juan Amoros and Karen Hills were inundated with questions about Morgan at a press conference ahead of her possible debut against north London rivals Arsenal in the 2019-20 FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

For the club, the signing is another triumph in brand-building and was, at least in part, commercially driven.

But for Morgan, the decision was based solely on football.

In May, the 31-year-old gave birth to her first child – a daughter named Charlie – and she is determined to return to peak condition as soon as possible, with competition fierce for a place in the USA's squad for next summer's Tokyo Olympics.

Just a week before joining Spurs on September 12, Morgan made up her mind to leave Orlando Pride, who have just four competitive fixtures this autumn, and join a club where she could "immerse herself in football" again.

While she had no concerns about playing regularly for any side in the world, Morgan wanted to be certain she would be training and competing at the highest possible level.

She quickly decided on the WSL and specifically London, where she won Olympic Gold in 2012, and instructed her agent, the aptly-named Dan Levy, to reach out to the capital's clubs.

Time was tight with the WSL transfer window set to close on September 17, and her representatives held brief talks with Arsenal, who were unable to finance a deal in such a short timeframe, as well as contacting Spurs.

The club were immediately interested and wasted no time in beginning talks with Levy and the NWSL.

Photo: Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

Although the other Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, was not directly involved in negotiations with his namesake, he was hugely supportive of the deal, which does not involved a transfer fee, and signed off Morgan's contract.

Despite having spent just one season in the fully-professional WSL, Morgan admired Spurs, having stayed at the club's state-of-the-art training base, Hotspur Way, with the national team ahead of the 2019 Women's World Cup.

Her belief that the club could provide the world-class infrastructure she was looking for was confirmed in conversations with Australian Alanna Kennedy and Canadian Shelina Zadorsky, who joined Spurs on a season-long loan deals from Pride last month and have been hugely impressed by the club's facilities, staff and ambition.

Another link was Tottenham's head of women's football, Heather Cowan, who worked with Pride manager Marc Skinner at Birmingham City, while Nike – as Morgan and Tottenham's principle sponsor – offered more common ground

Photo: Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

Amoros and Hills were stunned when they were first told of the news but, as is their custom with prospective signings, still spoke to Morgan over Zoom to ensure she would be a good fit for the club. They were never likely to say no.

The Spurs' squad were also giddy with excitement, particularly England U-21 striker Rianna Dean, who could partner the American up-front.

Morgan knows that Spurs remain a work in progress but is also excited about being part of the club's growth, which is accelerating faster than Hills and Amoros could possibly have imagined two years ago.

For Spurs and the WSL, the deal is momentous but friends of Morgan say the magnitude of her decision on a personal level should not be overlooked.

Her husband, Servando Carrasco, a footballer for Fort Lauderdale CF in Florida, is not expected to join her in London until November and, initially, she will have to adjust to a new life with just her four-month-old daughter for company.

It is a step driven by her determination to play regular football in an elite environment, highlighting the drive that has made Morgan one of the game's most successful ever players.

For Spurs, it a move that underlines the commercial value of investing in women's football and, in terms of impact, will only be surpassed this summer by Bale's return.

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