Tottenham Hotspur's 10 most expensive signings of all time

Tottenham have spent plenty of money in this transfer window - but where does Tanguy N'Dombele fall in this list?
Tottenham have spent plenty of money in this transfer window - but where does Tanguy N'Dombele fall in this list?

#4 Moussa Sissoko - £31.5m from Newcastle United – 2017

Moussa Sissoko became surprisingly indispensable to Spurs last season
Moussa Sissoko became surprisingly indispensable to Spurs last season

The story of Moussa Sissoko’s time at Tottenham is perhaps one of the greatest triumphs of Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching career, as prior to his stellar 2018/19 season, the Frenchman was looking set to join Roberto Soldado, Paulinho and David Bentley on the list of big-name signings who flopped at Spurs.

Signed from relegated Newcastle on transfer deadline day in August 2017, he’d always been somewhat of an inconsistent talent, and many Spurs fans immediately labeled him a “panic buy”.

His first season at the club appeared to confirm those fears, too. Sissoko made just eight Premier League starts in 2016/17 and didn’t score a goal, and it appeared that his time at Spurs would probably be a short one. But Pochettino stuck with the Frenchman and while he improved somewhat in 2017/18, it was 2018/19 that saw him prove his worth.

Converted by Pochettino from a winger into a deep-lying midfielder, Sissoko’s tough tackling, physically dynamic style suddenly made him almost indispensable and he ended up making 29 appearances in the league, adding some much-needed steel in the center of the park.

The arrival of Tanguy N’Dombele may well bring his spot in the starting XI into question in 2019/20, but for now, Sissoko has cemented himself as one of Pochettino’s best signings, surprising everyone.


#3 Davinson Sanchez - £36m from Ajax – 2017

Davinson Sanchez has strengthened Tottenham's back-line since his 2017 arrival
Davinson Sanchez has strengthened Tottenham's back-line since his 2017 arrival

It came as somewhat of a shock to a lot of fans in the summer of 2017 when Tottenham broke their record transfer fee to bring 21-year old Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez to the club from Ajax, but despite costing a huge £36m, it’d be hard to classify him as anything but a success.

Sanchez has added pace, power, and stability to Mauricio Pochettino’s already-impressive defense, and his young age means he should be a staple at the club for the best part of a decade.

The Colombian made more appearances in the Premier League – 31 – in his debut season than he did the last term, but a lot of that was due to the re-emergence of Toby Alderweireld, who had suffered from hamstring injuries throughout 2017/18.

Even so, he still appeared on 37 occasions in all competitions last season and was able to score his first goal for Tottenham in February’s victory over Leicester City. Given Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are both the wrong side of 30 years of age, it’s expected that Sanchez will become Tottenham’s key center-half in the upcoming 2019/20 season.

Having cut his teeth alongside the Belgian duo for the past two seasons, there’s no doubt that he’s ready. In a few years that £36m could represent a bargain.

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