Tottenham may not have always been among the elite teams in the Premier League, even though we always classify them in the “big six”, but that’s why they always knew how to do well when it came to spending money on reinforcements.
Jurgen Klinsmann – £2 million
The manager of Tottenham at the time, Ozzie Ardillas, told Klinsmann that he was one of the best players in the world when he arrived at White Hart Lane after the 1994 World Cup. The two million pounds that Tottenham spent on him was paid down to the last penny. The forward scored 20 goals in one season at Tottenham and then returned as a loan player where he found the net nine times in 15 games. Had it not been for his transfer, the fans on the Island might not have approved the arrival of foreign players in England. The German was a real goal machine.
Jermain Defoe – £7 million
West Ham had to get rid of Defoe after they were relegated in 2003. His 15 goals in 23 games, however, showed that he is capable of playing at the highest level. The “Whites” swooped in immediately and for only seven million, they brought in Defoe instead of Bobby Zamora. In his first four seasons at White Hart Lane, Defoe scored 64 goals. After returning from Portsmouth he just picked up where he left off in his first term in London. West Ham also did well in this transfer as it was Bobby Zamora who scored the goal in the play-off final that sent them back to the Premier League.
Aaron Lennon – A million pounds
Lennon was a Leeds player who was in the Championship at the time. The management of Tottenham saw something in him and believed that he was ready to play at the highest level. So, for only one million pounds, Aaron moved to North London. He played over 300 matches for Tottenham and scored over 30 goals. He was a regular in the England national team while playing for Tottenham and went to two World Cups. However, we believe that all fans of this club remember him for that goal against Mourinho’s Chelsea.
Kyle Walker – £4 million
Walker arrived with his colleague from Sheffield United, Naughton. Loans to Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa bore fruit and Tottenham introduced that they have a great defender in their ranks. He played 200 matches and became a regular member of the national team before City “squeezed out” 50 million pounds for him. This amount does not seem like much at all if we look at how the prices of today’s footballers move.
Gareth Bale – £7 million
When you pay a player seven million and sell him for more than 80, it is clear that it is a good deal. It may have taken some time for Bale to justify the money Southampton paid for him, but the Welshman paid off in the end. 54 goals in 204 games seem quite solid for a player who played on the wing. However, 26 goals in his final season at White Hart Lane were worth 126. Bale also had his moments when he returned on loan. We will all remember him for that demolition of Inter, in the Champions League.
