A critical look at the new arrivals brought in by Tottenham during this summer’s transfer window.
It was always going to be an interesting summer down at White Hart Lane, with Gareth Bale looking certain for the entire summer to be heading to Real Madrid in a world-record move. Although Bale’s transfer wasn’t confirmed until late on, Tottenham certainly enjoyed the benefits of his £85m fee as they set about rebuilding their entire squad with some top class additions. New players will always take a bit of time to settle, and of course Bale’s influence will be missed, but there’s plenty for the club’s fans to be positive about with some of the players Spurs were able to attract this summer.
Paulinho
Paulinho was the first major piece of business by Tottenham this summer, joining for £17m on the back of a highly impressive tournament with Brazil at the Confederations Cup, where he scored two goals for his country. The 25-year-old is a box-to-box midfielder capable of adding quality to this Spurs side in a variety of departments. His work-rate will be helpful in protecting the side’s defence, and he will also be able to provide some quality going forward with his range of passing and ability to get into the box and score a goal.
A player too good for the Brazilian league, Spurs did well to snap him up before another top club did. 7/10.
Nacer Chadli
Although we are yet to see the best of Nacer Chadli, Spurs could have landed themselves a bargain in signing the Belgian international from FC Twente for just £7m. Still only 24, this tricky winger/forward looks confident and good on the ball, though his decision-making still seems like it needs a little work. That will come with time though, and this versatile attacker could be a good purchase. Of course, he will now face plenty of competition for places as so many further signings followed his arrival, but he looks like he can offer Andre Villas-Boas’ side something a little different in attack.
More to come from him, but a good prospect once he settles into English football. 6.5/10.
Roberto Soldado
Briefly Tottenham’s club-record purchase at £26m, Roberto Soldado is a highly ambitious signing for the club, coming in after an excellent few seasons in La Liga with Valencia. The 28-year-old Spanish international has always been among the best goal-scorers in his home country, only to be eclipsed by the incredible numbers achieved by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now in the Premier League, Soldado could well be a contender for the golden boot, as he has managed close to 20 league goals in his last four seasons.
With Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe proving so disappointing last year, the addition of a top class goal-poacher like Soldado could be vital for Spurs as they look to close the gap on rivals Arsenal this year, and in Soldado they have a striker most top sides would love to have lining up for them.
With four goals in four games already for his new club, settling in doesn’t seem to have been a problem. 8.5/10.
Etienne Capoue
A host of other top clubs were keen on signing Etienne Capoue this summer, so Spurs have certainly done well to land this physical and competitive defensive midfielder to their ranks for just £9m. After some great performances in Ligue 1 for his old side Toulouse, Capoue looks more than capable of imposing himself on the Premier League, and had made a good start before picking up a serious injury in his side’s defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby.
Spurs will hope the Frenchman can recover and continue where he left off, as Capoue looks a definite upgrade on the likes of Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone, who had been trusted with that midfield spot last season.
A good addition to a position that needed strengthening, and brought in for relatively cheap as well. 7/10.
Vlad Chiriches
Despite only being 23, Vlad Chiriches has proven himself to be a solid defender with his performances down the years for Steaua Bucharest and the Romanian national team. Although Tottenham are already strong in defence with the formidable partnership of Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen, Chiriches looks a player capable of providing some strong competition in that area, and could be a great long-term addition to the club’s back-line.
Perhaps only a squad player for now, but Villas-Boas has done well to add some quality depth to his defence for just £8.5m. 6.5/10.
Erik Lamela
Eclipsing Roberto Soldado as the Tottenham’s record signing in the same summer, exciting Argentine prospect Erik Lamela arrived from Roma for £30m. The highly talented 21-year-old has looked like one of the best young players in Europe with his displays in Serie A last season, and is a capable performer upfront or out wide, with a great range of skills in passing, dribbling and shooting. With Bale gone, Lamela could well be the player Spurs look to to provide that extra spark, and the prospect of him linking up with Soldado upfront is a very exciting one indeed.
The likes of Manchester City and Chelsea had also been keen on signing Lamela, which shows the kind of talent Spurs have landed here. A player who looks destined for a great career in the game. 8.5/10.
Christian Eriksen
Spurs perhaps saved the best for last, bringing in the much sought-after Christian Eriksen from Ajax for an absolute steal at just £11.5m. The Danish playmaker, 21, has been one of the best young players in the world for some time now with his displays in the Eredivisie, looking like the complete modern playmaker with his dribbling and passing ability. The likes of Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Liverpool had all reportedly been keen on Eriksen this summer, but Spurs have done brilliantly to make him their final purchase of this incredible summer.
Like Lamela, Eriksen looks likely to be in the top bracket of footballers in the world in a few years’ time, and Spurs will be hoping he has his best years at White Hart Lane. Given his knock-down price as well, he has to go down as the club’s best signing this summer. 9/10.
Overview
The only question now for Andre Villas-Boas is what to do with all these players? Tottenham can certainly now boast great strength in depth and, despite the lack of Bale, they have real quality in their squad to match the likes of Chelsea and the Manchester clubs. A serious say in the title race might be a bit premature this season as the new players settle in and gel, but Spurs have done everything they possibly can to catch up with rivals Arsenal, and could now be favourites to finish above them in their quest for a Champions League place.
Paulinho and Capoue already look to have improved Spurs’ midfield, while the combination of Lamela, Eriksen and Soldado could be enough to replace the influence of Bale in the squad if they can click quickly. There’s certainly enough raw talent there to rival some of the best sides in Europe, and you can be sure the football will be good to watch at White Hart Lane this season with such an array of attacking talent.
Chiriches and Chadli add good depth as well, leaving little to criticise in looking at this squad. All in all, the best response possible to losing a world class performer in Bale, ensuring he could well be forgotten fairly quickly.
It’s worth noting as well that, despite such heavy spending, the club still managed to make a profit this summer, as the sales of Bale, Clint Dempsey, Steven Caulker, Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker brought in a total of £109.3m, whilst they spent slight under that.
Total spending: £109m.
Overall score: 8.5/10.