A pundit in a navy overcoat, seen from behind, touches his earpiece while standing pitchside in an empty stadium.

TransfersThe High Road Herald

Tottenham Man Opens Transfer Fund In Pint Glass After Hearing Carragher Rate Midfielder

Barry Napier · Transfer Correspondent2 October

The fund stood at £4.60 at last count, against a reported bid of more than £87 million.

A Tottenham man has opened a transfer fund in a pint glass on a pub table in North London, after hearing Jamie Carragher tell Sky Sports that he really rates Sandro Tonali.

The Herald understands Carragher also said Roberto De Zerbi has a lot of power at the club. The man has taken this to be a general call to action, and has acted.

Interrupting this report

The Monday Post-Mortem

The match report, in your inbox the morning after every game.

Free. One email per fixture. Unsubscribe whenever you like.

The fund stood at £4.60 on Tuesday evening. Tottenham are reported to be set to bid more than £87 million for the Italian midfielder, according to Alfredo Pedulla. The man has described the shortfall as "bridgeable".

Carragher says he's got everything. Energy, control, defensive bite. So I'm putting something in.

The table has since been arranged as a midfield. A salt cellar has been designated Tonali. A beer mat representing Lucas Bergvall, who is reported to have asked to leave in search of more game time, has been moved to the far end, where it is understood to be making its own arrangements.

The landlord has asked for the glass to be returned to circulation, noting that it is one of only six. The man has offered to cover the cost of a replacement from the fund, which would reduce it to £2.10.

Three companions have contributed under protest. One gave 20p and asked whether a receipt would be issued. A receipt has been issued, on a napkin.

The glass has been covered with a beer mat. Carragher has not been informed.

Send this to a mate

Next in this edition

A footballer in a plain white shirt seen from behind, standing in a sunlit stadium with a blurred crowd in the background.

TransfersThe High Road Herald

Reader Told Highest Bid Wins Nine Times Before Lunch, Checks Phone Again On Platform Two

Barry Napier · Transfer Correspondent2 October

The Herald's audit of one morning's coverage also found the figure of £85 million appeared thirty-one times and was not revised once.

A Tottenham man was told on nine separate occasions between 6:02am and 8:14am on Wednesday that West Ham United will sell Mateus Fernandes to whichever club offers the most money, and has since checked his phone a tenth time on a railway platform.

The Herald carried out an audit of the morning's coverage, covering twenty-three headlines, eleven social media posts and one video thumbnail. Our findings are set out below in full, as the public has a right to them.

Interrupting this report

The Monday Post-Mortem

The match report, in your inbox the morning after every game.

Free. One email per fixture. Unsubscribe whenever you like.

The word "clear" appeared forty-one times. A club was reported to have made something clear on seventeen occasions. On four of those, the something was the same something.

The figure of £85 million appeared thirty-one times, always described as a starting point. At no stage was a finishing point offered, which the Herald considers a significant omission.

Sandro Tonali was described as "still there" in six separate places. Our reporters were unable to establish where there is.

I read it at the kitchen table, then again at the bus stop, then again here. It's the same thing. It's definitely the same thing.

The man was observed at 7:31am holding his phone at a slight angle to avoid the drizzle, a technique our correspondent timed at forty-four seconds per refresh. He refreshed thirty-eight times in total. The price did not change.

The 7:42 arrived eleven minutes late. He boarded, sat down, and began reading it again.

The highest bid remains the highest bid.

Send this to a mate

Open this story on its own page