Spurs struck gold with ‘phenomenal’ talent

Over the past couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur have not been afraid to spend money in an attempt to move closer to Premier League glory.

However, they discovered that spending a lot of money does not equate to immediate success, with many players unable to make the desired impact in North London.

In the summer of 2019, the Lilywhites hierarchy forked out a then club-record £62million for the signing of French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele – but it would be a deal that turned out to be a disaster.

He racked up 91 appearances during his five-year stay in England, but was massively questioned about his lack of fitness and constant attitude problems under various managers.

As a result, the club let him leave for nothing last summer, subsequently joining Nice on a free transfer and leaving as one of the club’s worst signings in history.

However, another big addition hopes he doesn’t suffer the same fate after his own move to join Thomas Frank’s side in the recent transfer window.

In one of his first moves as Spurs manager, Frank decided to fork out £55million for the signing of winger Mohammed Kudus from London rivals West Ham United.

The Ghanaian played for the Hammers for two years before moving to the capital, with the real hope of being able to add a new dimension to the Lilywhites’ attack.

He may have only played nine games to date, but the 25-year-old has already made an immediate impact in north London throughout the 2024/25 season.

The striker has recorded four assists to date – the most of any player in the team – highlighting his ability to create endless opportunities for those around him.

However, he also recently scored his first goal for the club in the last outing against Leeds United, with such a strike securing all three points for Frank’s men.

It may only be the early days of his Spurs career, but Kudus has already demonstrated his quality and is undoubtedly becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.

However, despite his impressive form in north London, he is now valued less than a player who joined the club for less than his own in recent times.

The Spurs star who is more popular than Kudus

Spurs’ Europa League triumph last campaign is proof that their work in the transfer market has been extremely effective, even if they also wasted huge sums of money on players who were not at the required standard.

Newcomers like Lucas Bergvall have played an important role in their recent European triumph, with the Sweden international exceeding all expectations throughout the 2024/25 season.

He only joined the team last summer for a reported £8.5million from domestic club Djurgarden, with very few supporters expecting the 19-year-old to make an immediate impact in the first team.

However, the injury crisis saw the youngster stake his claim for a regular starting role, racking up 45 appearances in all competitions during his first year.

His talents catapulted the club to the Europa League title, which allowed them to qualify for the Champions League, allowing them to attract world-class talent alongside Frank.

As a result, the hierarchy completed the £52m signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in the latter stages of the summer window – effectively ending their search for a new number ten.

The Dutchman arrived with high expectations following his form in the Bundesliga last campaign, subsequently finishing the year with a combined 17 goals and assists in just 25 outings.

However, his time in England is yet to take off, recording just one assist in his first seven outings – but he will certainly need time to settle in, given he is only 22 years old.

That hasn’t stopped Simons receiving plenty of praise from many top names, with one analyst even calling the youngster a “phenomenal” talent.

He has also seen his market value skyrocket in recent months following his move, with the CIES Football Observatory now valuing the sensation at a staggering £97.3million.

Such a figure is almost twice the fee paid for Kudus this window, further highlighting how highly rated the Dutchman is despite his early struggles in the Premier League.

Although Kudus has taken over, he has prior experience in England’s top flight, with Simons likely to make the same impact in the near future once established.

However, there is no denying that the Lilywhites have a potential world beater on their hands, with the prospect of them playing together for years to come is extremely exciting for the fanbase.