The similarities are striking: both small, bald and power hungry; both the deal makers at their respective clubs; and both have cost Manchester United roughly GBP30m in one fell swoop - Kenyon shelling out GBP28.1m for Juan Sebastian Veron, and Levy hitting United’s back pocket for GBP30.75m for Dimitar Berbatov.
Scratch between the surface, though, and there are some telling differences between the two squat bald men. Whereas Kenyon is a minion whose loyalty can be brought, - Bond-esque - by the Russians, Levy is a villain in his own right.
If Peter Kenyon is Jaws – a henchman shuffling around doing someone else’s bidding- then Daniel Levy is Dr. No - a businessman with grand designs who’s not afraid to get his own hands dirty.
In fact, Levy saw Friday’s Sun newspaper as the ideal conduit through which wash his dirty hands - and dish a bit more dirt at the same time. “I should have got Harry in earlier,” reads the headline, beneath which Levy stands staring sincerely into the camera. He goes on to explain how close he came to appointing Redknapp after firing Martin Jol.
It’s an unlikely proposition considering ‘Arry’s stock wasn’t quite so high this time last year. Portsmouth had not just lifted the FA Cup, and were themselves languishing near the foot of the table with only one win in their opening six games.
Levy doesn’t pull any proverbial punches goes on to give vent to his opinion of Ramos’s appointment, describing it as “a huge mistake.”
He continues to kick the Spanish dog whilst it’s down by insisting that it was in fact Juande Ramos who had “put his foot down” and insisted Dimitar Berbatov, his best striker, was sold. A seemingly unlikely scenario.
Levy’s plans for world domination have so far been expensive and fruitless, whilst Kenyon continues to be up to no good in the shadows at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learnt from all this. Whereas Dr. No invested millions into building an island, with the goal of global domination, the island ultimately imploded and he died. Although Jaws also eventually met his maker he did so with greater longevity – appearing in two films - and far less financial outlay.
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