Spurs pay £16.5m for tin of baked beans...

Sometimes you read a football headline and then you have to read it again to make sure that you read it right first time around. That happened to me when reading about Darren Bent's transfer to Spurs at the princely sum of £16.5m - first time I read this, I honestly thought the headline read "Spurs pay £16.5m for tin of baked beans".

Once I cleared my vision, it transpired that yes indeed the North London club were going to pay an eye watering figure for a player who has so far been largely an England bench warmer, he didn't even make the last England World Squad, mind you that was down to Sven and his dalliance with the untried Walcott.

For me, however, the Darren Bent transfer is further evidence, as if it were needed that, the clubs are not capable of acting with any degree of financial responsibility. You cannot really argue too much when clubs go into administration because of financial mismanagement, to me the Bent fee is totally ridiculous. Let me just add that Man Utd are among the worst in this respect.

Sure football fans want to see their clubs winning and by signing quality players, but the clubs and their owners have a duty to ensure that these clubs retain their status within the top flight of English football. Who wants to see another Leeds United? The Yorkshire club got into trouble precisely because of deals like the Bent transfer, they were gambling in the last chance saloon by banking everything on spending big and by qualifying for the Champions League every season -they failed to meet that objective, the walls came tumbling down.

Manchester United have serious debts, and many are now predicting one of two scenarios for the not too distant future, I actually subscribe to this theory too. The club will be either sold again within 18 months or it will go into administration. If I'm wrong then please remind me in 18 months time.

As for Darren Bent, you do wonder if the Spurs executives like shoppers returning from the supermarket, realise that yes they've been over charged. They could have bought a multi-pack of Baked-beans for that price.