Ghaly experienced a tumultuous time at White Hart Lane, fritting between erratic error strewn performances to tantrums and eventually to throwing his shirt at Martin Jol in frustration at being substituted and booed by the home crowd against Blackburn last season. It wasn't all bad; Ghaly's tenacity and work-rate were laudable and he occasionally showed his potential, such as in his all action display against Chelsea in the FA Cup. Often employed out of position, Hossam did little to endear himself to Tottenham fans with his wastefulness in possession and despite his potential few will lose sleep over the loss of a player who has no future at the club; it's quite clear that is move is only temporary because Derby are destined to be relegated, and Ghaly is not the sort of player who is willing to belittle himself by playing in the Championship (his opinion, not ours).
A player fans may well be sad to see the back of is Paul Robinson, who's future at White Hart Lane looks bleak after being dropped for the game against Arsenal on Wednesday. According to reports in the press, Juande Ramos has instructed scouts to find a suitable replacement for the England international, with Ajax's Dutch number two Maarten Stekelenberg. The Dutchman is regarded as the natural successor to Manchester United's Edwin Van de Sar and has grown in stature over the past few seasons to be regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. That said, although Robinson's form has been poor, few fans want him to leave the club, with the general consensus being that he needs quality competition to inspire him back to top form. Ramos may well disagree, with several targets, including Chelsea's Carlo Cudicini, on the Spaniard's wanted list.
Meanwhile speculation continues to grow regarding the club renewing it's interest in Middlesbrough's Stuart Downing. Martin Jol was a keen fan of the left-winger but never managed to prise him away from the Riverside but it is thought that Gareth Southgate's determination to keep hold of his prize asset has waned along with his clubs fortunes in the league, with the ex-penalty misser keen to use any fee gained for the winger to strengthen elsewhere. The possibility of Downing joining won't be met with universal approval amongst fans, with most feeling he lacks the pace and guile to be a worthwhile addition to the side, even if he does possess a good left foot. Espanyol's defender Daniel Jarque is also thought to be close to sealing a move to the club, with Ramos keen to strengthen his defensive options.