Opening thoughts
There have been some magical players who have showcased their phenomenal talent for the Spurs over the years. While some have come with a serious price tag, others were picked up at a bargain price, and we’ll be balancing that value and cost as we scan through the sensational names who have lit up North London and cemented their legacies as giants of the club.
Dele Alli
Despite Dele’s off-field woes, the £5m fee Spurs paid for the former MK Dons man was a pittance considering his performance during his first two years at the club. Although trophies eluded the team, Dele picked up many prestigious personal awards, including two back-to-back PFA Young Player Awards. Just eight years later, and considering the current astronomical transfer fees in the game, £5 million was a true bargain, considering the numbers he put up. At his best for Spurs, in today’s market, he could easily be worth up to £100m.
David Ginola
Following this Frenchman’s retirement, David Ginola is a constant presence on sports television, covering live league matches from all over Europe and analysing the current crop of top footballing talent. However, in the mid-1990s, Ginola was part of an incredible golden generation of French talent.
Despite being on the fringes of that team – which speaks more to the quality of the side – Ginola was no slouch, lifting silverware with Spurs in 1999 and voted player of the year by his fellow professionals such as Dele Ali. Although his £2.5m fee was a fair amount back in 1997, the Frenchman quickly proved his worth and was inducted into the Spurs Hall of Fame back in 2008.
Gareth Bale
Welsh footballing legend Gareth Bale was considered a risk when Spurs secured his services in 2007. At £10m, it was no small purchase, but some would argue that Bale is the best player ever for the club. Despite only lifting one trophy during his time in North London, Bale’s now famous hat-trick at the San Siro against Inter Milan was one of the great European performances by a Spurs player.
It was this sort of performance that put him on the radar of the world’s biggest clubs. After leaving Spurs for over £80m in 2013, he scored one of the greatest goals ever in a Champions League final, eventually winning three European Cups. He also has five La Liga winner’s medals in his cabinet.
Luka Modric
The Croatian midfield maestro is the only ex-Spurs player who has lifted the coveted Ballon d’Or award. Perhaps even more impressive is that he did this at the height of the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. Only his fellow teammate Karim Benzema managed to break this duopoly on the Ballon d’Or, which dates back to when Cristiano first won it in 2008.
Like Bale, Modrić was considered a risk, and plenty of Spurs fans thought his fee was excessive. His £16.5m fee looked overpriced, especially as he got used to life in England, but after a few years, Real Madrid doubled Spurs’ investment, acquiring his services in 2012. Despite nearing the end of his career, the 38-year-old is still a regular in the Real Madrid team, clocking up over 300 appearances for the Spanish giants.
Jimmy Greaves
Following his sad passing a couple of years ago, tributes poured in for the Tottenham great. In the early 1960s, he became one of the most expensive players in the history of English football when he made the switch to North London. Although injury hampered England’s World Cup run and Geoff Hurst kept him out of the team, Greaves delivered domestically, winning two FA Cups and a European Cup Winners Cup with Spurs. Tottenham giants don’t get much bigger than Jimmy, who scored over 400 goals in English football and is one of the greatest players the country has ever produced.
Conclusion
We couldn’t have named all of the top signings for a club the size of Spurs, but we’ve covered a good range of modern legends and older icons. Spurs fans will have fond memories of all of these players, and their performances at White Hart Lane – and more recently at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – will endear them to the Spurs faithful for years to come. With a whole new generation looking to join this list and Tottenham looking to end their trophy drought, we’re sure there’ll be a couple more names to add within the next 10 or 15 years.
