Well at Midnight this morning the transfer window slammed shut for the summer and what a summer it has been for Spurs! The window has seen a complete transformation of the squad and we’ve added some of the best young talent on the planet. I can say in my 32 years as a Spurs fan I have never been as excited for a season as this. We have one the best managers around and have assembled probably the strongest Spurs squad I’ve ever seen. What’s more, we seem to have done that with our net spend being £5.5m in the positive! 2013 Summer transfer activityHere is the net summary of our activity in the summer transfer window
Our New PlayersPaulinho - Jose Paulo Bezerra Maciel Junior A regular feature in the Brazil midfield, Spurs have bought one of Brazil’s most sought after young talents. Paulinho has been described as a box-to-box midfielder, with powerful running, good movement and an eye for goal. He has scored 20 goals in his 86 appearances for Corinthians and won the Bronze Ball at the 2013 Confederations Cup. Paulinho possess the ability to push his side forward from midfield to supplement his strong defensive work. Paulinho also offers a useful presence in set piece situations at both ends of the pitch. Spurs broke their transfer record when they made him the first signing of the summer at £17m. Roberto Soldado Spanish International and graduate of the Real Madrid youth academy Roberto has come to Spurs on the back of an outstanding few seasons in La Liga having scored 59 goals for Valencia in the past 3 years, with 24 in 35 games last year. His chance conversion rate of 24% was also amongst the highest in Europe. His arrival ends the long search Spurs have had in the striking department. His 4 goals in his first 3 games has been a very encouraging start. 'I have tried to score (20 goals a season) and every time I have done it,' said Soldado, who was speaking at the unveiling of Tottenham’s new cup shirt sponsor AIA. 'This season I am going to try my best from the first day to get back to scoring because they signed me because of this reason. 'My objective is to score more than 20 goals. With the help of my team-mates I can do it.' Nacer Chadli A versatile and powerful attacking midfielder and part of the golden generation in Belgian football, Nacer brings with him pace, guile and agility and a lot of big match experience. Chadli's style of play is a perfect fit for the brand of football that has become synonymous with the name Tottenham Hotspur. Signed from FC Twente, Nacer has player 109 matches for them and scored a total of 31 goals, 10 of those coming last season from 22 appearances. Predominantly right-footed, Chadli’s adaptability means he can be fielded anywhere across the forward line, though his preferred position is on the left as an inverted winger, cutting inside onto his stronger foot. Standing six foot two, his strength, pace and trickery down the flank, allied with a penchant for a long shot, could well see the Belgian quickly nail down a starting role in Villas-Boas’ first-team. Étienne Capoue An imposing French international defensive midfielder who can work equally as effectively at Centre Half. Etienne announced himself with a bang at Spurs with commanding performances in the middle of the park. His rate of tackles, interceptions and blocks has been impressive to say the least. Capoue’s main strength lies in his passing. He is very adept in playing through balls and long passes. Last season, he made 2171 passes in the entire season, out of which 373 were long passes attempted. Dembele, who is arguably more creative than others in Spurs midfield, attempted only 108 long balls. Etienne unfortunately suffered an injury during the North London Derby but is expected to return within a month. A fantastic purchase for Tottenham. Vlad Chiriches After the sale of Caulker Spurs were in the hunt for a fourth quality Centre half and Chiriches, in many ways a clone of Belgian stalwart Vertonghen, is be the perfect solution. With supreme positional sense and a natural ability to read the game, Chiriches is also one of the most elegant defenders around, blessed with excellent technical skills, he is a player that's always willing to play the ball forward and join the attack - just as Vertonghen learned to do during his days at Ajax. In his homeland, the 23-year-old is rated extremely highly. Just a couple of years ago he was compared to Cristian Chivu, although nowadays Romanian journalists go as far as mentioning him in the same breath as the legendary Miodrag Belodedici, the brilliant centre-back of Steaua Bucharest who won the Champions Cup in 1986, and achieved the same feat with Red Star Belgrade five years later. Belodedici himself said of his so-called heir in December last year: "Chiriches is strong, fast and intelligent. He can definitely go very far. There are few footballers who can do what he does in his position, and he is ready to take risks going forward. Erik Lamela In Erik Lamela Spurs have a prodigy at hand, so good, that the 30 mill. sum paid for him sounds like good business Lamela comes from a Carapachay, a town a few miles north of Buenos Aires, Lamela found his way into the prestigious River Plate academy Lamela moved from river Plate to Roma where he showed even more promise and flair, in his second season once he was settled at the club, The Argentine notched 15 league goals in 33 appearances - hugely impressive particularly given the miserly reputation Serie A carries. This haul would have been welcome for many a wily striker, let alone a wiry, fledgling midfielder. Yet this is part of Lamela’s appeal. At 6ft tall, he is yet another member of the new breed of wide forward – fast, direct, and with an ability to win a match single-handed. Something that the Spurs fans would love to see. His talent is finally beginning to see the sort of recognition many expected when he left for Europe. Lamela is on the brink of breaking into the Argentina national team, having already made 3 senior team appearances The fact that Andre Villas-Boas - and crucially, Franco Baldini - pursued Lamela regardless of Bale’s future speaks volumes. He may be just 21 years of age, but Spurs have signed a ready-made replacement for their star winger. Spurs fans should be excited about the future with Lamela on board, rather than worry about who left. Christian Eriksen Where do you start with a player like Eriksen? He's just utter class. At the age of 21 he can do things with a ball that can hypnotise you. Eriksen has the vision, the skill, the pass, the finish and the pace which would grace any team, of any league. But add to that he possesses a level head which is something not commonly seen in a 20 year old in the world of football these days. Last year he refused to move to several clubs because he wanted to play rather than sit on the bench. He has already made 138 appearances for Ajax already, scoring 23 times and more importantly lifting a trophy in every season. In my bias opinion, I think he has taken the right decision to come to the Premier League. It is after all, the best league in the world and it is perfect for players such as Eriksen, as he has the potential to be one of the best midfielders in the world. I'm at a loss for words, as he seems to be the all round player, and in all honesty, I could see him getting in any team in the world, as he's that good. In Eriksen, Spurs have a player who can play behind the striker creating chances or as a deep lying playmaker, distributing passes. Remember folks, he's only 21, think of how many years left he has of his career and how good he is already. For me, 11 million is an absolute bargain for a player of this class About the author: Suraj Sharma Chairman: India Spurs Twitter @Suraj_Sharma Have your say below
5 Comments
mikow
3/9/2013 08:23:51 am
£3m for 7 players.
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Suraj
3/9/2013 08:28:54 am
Well from the above its 7 new players plus £3m in the bank, now thats something to think about :)
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keith
4/9/2013 03:58:21 am
Interesting read and assessment. There's also the bonus of having released Gallas and Bentley. With the various payers out on loan our total wages bill should be well down as well.
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Ananya
10/9/2013 08:55:16 am
I cannot wait to see the team in action. Capoue has been exceptional so far and Soldado looks pure quality! Eriksen and Lamela - wow! The future's looking very lily-white!
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