A former Tottenham official is astonished by one of the deals that Spurs have just agreed and has even jokingly questioned if it is a case of money laundering.
There has been a lot said about Tottenham’s decision to loosen their purse strings and go big this summer following two back-to-back 17th-placed finishes.
Spurs have spent a club record £237m on their six signings so far, and the fees for Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, in particular, have raised eyebrows.
However, Tottenham have also recouped £85m through player sales due to the departures of Luka Vuskovic, Alejo Veliz, Radu Dragusin and Alfie Devine.
Pundit cannot believe how much Brighton have paid for Tottenham’s Luka Vuskovic
The majority of that £85m has come from the sale of Luka Vuskovic, who is set to complete a £50m switch to Brighton this summer.
That means that the centre-back has fetched Tottenham a profit of over £38m, even though he has not played a competitive game for the Lilywhites, and this has flabbergasted former Spurs scout Bryan King.
When asked about Vuskovic’s £50m move to Brighton, King told Football Insider: “That’s nearly as much as they paid for an experienced centre-half, who has been playing in the Premier League! It’s not money laundering, is it? Dear me.
“He hasn’t played a game in the Premier League, and he’s £50m! Correct me if I’m wrong here, but did Hamburg win the Bundesliga and the Cup or what? It mystifies me. It was a great bit of recruitment, bring him in for £12m and sell him for £50m.”
Why Brighton’s bet on Vuskovic is a smart one
Brighton have shown over the years that they are among the shrewdest operators in the Premier League, and they seldom get their recruitment decisions wrong.
They evidently see Vuskovic as someone who can develop into a £100m player fairly quickly, which is why they have decided to take the opportunity.
Spurs have retained a 20 per cent sell-on clause from the Croat, which means that Tottenham could stand to gain significantly from the centre-back’s future transfer.