We have now taken a look at where Tottenham stands in the Premier League net spend table in the last five seasons.
It is the transfer season at the moment, and Tottenham Hotspur’s winter window has been rather quiet, with just one player coming through and ten days left until the window slams shut.
Conor Gallagher joined Tottenham earlier in January for £35m from Atletico Madrid and has since made his debut.
Spurs remain short-staffed in certain areas of the pitch, and the hope is that, before the window slams shut, more players will join the Lilywhites’ ranks.
Souza has been linked with Tottenham but has yet to join officially, despite reports of Spurs having paid £15m to Santos, with both sides reaching an agreement.
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Tottenham and Premier League five-year net spend table
Spurs are not the only ones to have been busy this winter, with other Premier League clubs just as active.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been the most active, with Manchester City completing the signings of Semenyo and Guehi for around £80m in total.
We have now analysed the net spend of all Premier League sides over the last five years to see where Spurs land, and interestingly, Tottenham are high up the list.
| Rank | Club | Five-year net spend |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | £-684.61m |
| 2 | Arsenal | £-675.77m |
| 3 | Chelsea | £-662.04m |
| 4 | Tottenham | £-565.44m |
| 5 | Newcastle United | £-430.61m |
| 6 | Manchester City | £-426.77m |
| 7 | Liverpool | £-423.75m |
| 8 | West Ham United | £-352.87m |
| 9 | Nottingham Forest | £-328.86m |
| 10 | Crystal Palace | £-159.74m |
| 11 | Sunderland | £-121.19m |
| 12 | Fulham | £-119.55m |
| 13 | Burnley | £-108.67m |
| 14 | Bournemouth | £-102.63m |
| 15 | Brentford | £-98.16m |
| 16 | Aston Villa | £-80.36m |
| 17 | Leeds United | £-75.4m |
| 18 | Wolves | £-48.92m |
| 19 | Everton | £-12.13m |
| 20 | Brighton | £0.53m |
What the figures say about Spurs recruitment
It is rather surprising to see Spurs so high up the list, as sides with a high net spend are those who have spent more on purchasing players than on selling.
That has been the case for Tottenham, who have spent the last five years trying to bolster their squad, but the issue is that many of Spurs’ big-money moves have not exactly set the world alight.
As a result, when these failed signings are later moved on, they do not command enough value compared to their original fees, which leads to a loss.
Brennan Johnson’s sale is one such example, with a player purchased for £50m sold for £34m a few seasons later, underlining why recruitment remains vital and why the focus must be on players who are the right fit for the club’s system.
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