Tottenham Hotspur has changed. A month after the transfer market opened, it has invested over 300 billion won, emerging as a global 'big player'.
'Score 90', which produces football content, reported on the expenditure status of Premier League clubs during the summer transfer market on the 12th (Korea time) via social media.
The media noted, "These are the clubs that have spent the most money this summer so far. The transfers of Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest to Tottenham) and Álvaro Carreira (Benfica to Real Madrid), as well as Nonny Madueke (Arsenal to Chelsea) are expected to be officially announced soon," adding that there are still several players included whose official announcements have not yet been made.
Chelsea was ranked first. Since owner Todd Boehly took over, Chelsea has been pouring big money into the transfer market, and this summer, it is still making explosive signings. Although there is still over a month left in the transfer market, it has already brought in seven players, investing 244 million euros (about 399.3 billion won).
They signed Jamie Gittens and João Pedro for a total of 64 million euros (about 103.1 billion won) and spent 36 million euros (about 58 billion won) to bring in Liam Delap. Additionally, they spent 34 million euros (about 54.8 billion won), 22 million euros (about 35.5 billion won), 14 million euros (about 22.6 billion won), and 10 million euros (about 16.1 billion won) for the transfers of Esteban, Dario Isogu, Mamadou Doucouré, and Kendry Paez, respectively.
Surprisingly, Tottenham came in second. Tottenham has acquired a total of six new players, spending 213 million euros (about 343.3 billion won). This amount is the same as Liverpool, which brought in Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremy Frimpong, and Armin Vetsch, placing them jointly in second place. It was even higher than the 168 million euros (about 270.8 billion won) spent by Real Madrid.
Tottenham is displaying aggressive transfer market activity unlike usual. First, Tottenham fully acquired 'loan players' Matthijs de Ligt and Kevin Danso for 35 million euros (about 56.4 billion won) and 25 million euros (about 40.3 billion won), respectively.
They also spent 12 million euros (about 19.3 billion won) to bring in Takai Gota, a Japanese center-back born in 2004, and 6 million euros (about 9.7 billion won) for Luka Bušković, a Croatian center-back born in 2007. Both are seen as acquisitions for the future.
The big signings continue. Tottenham brought in attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus from West Ham for 65 million euros (about 104.8 billion won). They are even on the verge of acquiring Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham, activating a buyout clause worth 70 million euros (about 112.8 billion won).
This is why there is talk among Tottenham fans of an unprecedented transfer market. Moreover, the pace is fast. The transfer of Kudus, which seemed difficult, was officially announced overnight, and the acquisition of Gibbs-White has nearly reached completion.
The British 'BBC' also noted, "Tottenham acquired Kudus for 55 million pounds (about 102.3 billion won), followed by paying 60 million pounds (about 111.6 billion won) for Gibbs-White. In just one day, they have spent 115 million pounds (about 214 billion won). This is a stark contrast to chairman Daniel Levy's typically conservative transfer strategy."
Chairman Levy has been known for his caution in the transfer market. He typically tries to negotiate each penny down in dealings with opposing clubs and never backs down easily, earning him nicknames like 'penny pincher' and 'the devil's negotiator.' This has often resulted in losing players he aimed for due to excessive caution.
However, this summer, Chairman Levy and Tottenham are surprising the football world with a drastically changed approach. It is reported that Tottenham plans to pay 60 million pounds for England national midfielder Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) as well. According to the BBC, the real owner of Tottenham, 'ENIC Group,' has started to loosen its purse strings. Tottenham is creating a pivotal moment for the club's future this summer.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Score 90, Tottenham, Fabrizio Romano social media.
[OSEN]