5 players who were sold for ridiculously cheap fees

#5: Teddy Sheringham - £3.5m

Why Tottenham sold Teddy Sheringham to Man United for such a low fee remains a mystery

Of all the current Premier League clubs right now, Tottenham probably have the best reputation for getting their money’s worth when it comes to buying and selling players. They never seem to let a player go for a cheap price, and always somehow manage to pick up bargains – Christian Eriksen for instance only cost £11m when he was signed in 2013. In the past though, they were guilty of letting a true great leave for an incredibly small fee. Step forward Teddy Sheringham.

By the summer of 1997 Sheringham had spent 5 seasons at Tottenham and the forward had always given a great return in terms of goals, even as he eased into his 30’s. But he hadn’t actually won any trophies at Tottenham and that didn’t look like changing, and so he angled for a move to Manchester United, perennial contenders for the Premier League title.

Quite why Tottenham sold him for such a small fee of £3.5m though is a massive question mark. At 31 it was suggested by some that his best days were behind him, but realistically Sheringham was the kind of player who was more brains than physicality and so his age didn’t really matter all that much.

Of course, he was a massive success at Old Trafford, where he won the Premier League three times and the Champions League once, and was also named PFA Player of the Year in 2001. Given the same transfer window saw the likes of Jon Dahl Tomasson, Dean Holdsworth and Oyvind Leonhardsen move for similar fees, surely Tottenham could’ve squeezed United for more cash for Teddy.