After the move to their new stadium in April 2019, Tottenham Hotspur were always going to need to spend big to match the demands from the supporters.
The elite-level facilities handed the Lilywhites the perfect opportunity to reach the next level and compete with some of the biggest teams for the Premier League title.
Roberto De Zerbi has been the latest beneficiary of the investment from the hierarchy, with the Italian receiving over £250m worth of investment during the summer window.
However, it’s safe to say not all of their investments have been worthwhile in recent years, which has resulted in countless players failing to make the grade in North London.
Why Richarlison has been a failed addition for Spurs
During the summer of 2022, Spurs secured the £50m signature of striker Richarlison to help take the workload off of current Ballon d’Or holder Harry Kane.
Given the big-money fee spent on his services, the hopes within the Lilywhites fanbase were at an all-time high, but it’s safe to say their investment was a complete disaster.
The Brazilian has racked up 134 senior appearances over the last four years, but the majority of his outings have come as an impact player off the bench.
He’s only netted 32 goals for the club during the aforementioned period, an average of just one striker in every 4.1 games he featured in to date.
However, it’s highly unlikely that the 29-year-old will be able to add to such a tally in 2026/27, after manager De Zerbi excluded the attacker from the Premier League squad.
Richarlison has since linked up with the U21 squad over recent weeks and featured in their Jersey Mike’s Group game against League Two side Cheltenham Town.
As a result, a departure is almost certain during the upcoming January window, with the hierarchy needing to get as much of their £50m investment back as possible.
Why Spurs wasted £51m on a worse signing than Richarlison
Whilst Richarlison will get the brunt of the criticism for his failed move, there’s no denying that circumstances have contributed to his inability to deliver the goods for Spurs.
His deal does showcase the failures of the hierarchy in recent years, but he’s certainly not the only player who’s been unable to hit the ground running after their own move.
This year’s heavy spending has opened the door for more players to fall into the same category, with high expectations placed on the big-money arrivals in North London.
They have been brought in to provide needed upgrades in key areas, with the midfield overhaul seeing Yves Bissouma move on to pastures new in recent months.
The Malian, who joined from Brighton & Hove Albion during the summer of 2022, endured a somewhat disappointing tenure during his time as a first team member at Spurs.
He spent four years on the books in North London but it was littered with controversy, which often saw him receive internal punishments for his off-the-field antics.
Despite his troubles, the 30-year-old racked up 111 appearances across all competitions, with only 11 of his outings coming during his final year in North London.
Injuries also contributed to his struggles and ultimately pushed him even further down the pecking order and put an end to his time at the club.
|
Yves Bissouma – Spurs stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistic |
Total |
|
Appearances |
111 |
|
Starts |
72 |
|
Minutes played |
6,468 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Yellow cards |
27 |
|
Red cards |
2 |
Bissouma, who arrived for a reported £30m, certainly didn’t live up to his lofty price tag, but the deal undoubtedly cost a lot more than just his transfer fee.
The midfielder took home a reported £21m in wages alone during his four years at the Lilywhites, which took the total of his transfer to around the £51m mark.
As a result, the club forked out around £450k every time he featured for the Lilywhites – a figure which was way beyond the level of output he delivered on the pitch.
The fact he left the club on a free transfer during the recent window only compounds how much of a bad deal it was – with such a deal the hierarchy’s worst in recent years.
Richarlison’s move to North London has certainly been brought into question, but there’s no denying the big fee, hefty wages and inability to recoup any return for his signature made Bissouma a worse signing.
