02 Jul 2026 14:46:48
If we cast our minds back, I remember the Sours' spending spree after selling Bale. It included the highly rated likes of Lamela, Paulinho, Eriksen, Capoue, as well as Chadli and Chiriches to very little avail.
Then in 2019 they beat us to Ndombele - 60m for a 22 year old; sounds familiar?
It's nothing new, we all have our targets and we sign who we feel best matches what we want/need/price/desire.
02 Jul 2026 17:50:53
If Spurs want to spend £185M on Tonali and Fernandes, then go for it.
Glad we aren't bending.
02 Jul 2026 22:18:26
I can see some similarities mbd mate. But i think this time they have buyed better players. I am happy we didn't follow, Fernandez is a good talent but i am not totally convinced, Ed001 doesn't rate him very highly too, and he has the best eye for a player.
That said, i would like to discuss Spurs situation. Then it was Bales money, this time how can they spend so much money and wages? Are they going to risk having problems with PSR, while trying to move up a level and become a permanent Champions League side?
02 Jul 2026 23:21:47
From the commercial side of things, Spurs have the money. They just don't normally spend as much. But, nearly getting relegated two years in a row, they've put their hands in their pocket. As someone else said, expect some departures, but I'd love Fernandes to get relegated three years in a row.
03 Jul 2026 01:44:51
I remember that too. Eriksen proved to be a fantastic signing and Lamela and Chadli proved to be good squad players. But that was very different to this window. After they sold Bale, they signed about 6 players with the money they earned from one sale essentially, so they weren't exactly getting the very top players available in European football.
This summer, they have signed two midfielders that most would consider among the top midfielders available. Tonali is genuinely top class and entering his peak years, and Fernandes is already very good, though perhaps not yet top class, but only 21 years old. They both look fantastic every time I have watched them play. They are both very complete midfielders, and they have the stats to back up their technical ability.
They would have both improved our midfield immensely, and whilst there are still some very good players available, I can't help but feel we will be signing second rate players for lower fees, rather than getting higher value for money. Alex Scott and Carlos Baleba are both very good players, for example, but at £60 million each, do they represent better value than Fernandes at £85 million?
Personally, I'm not convinced, since I think Fernandes is currently better than both and has a higher ceiling, but obviously the board have decided Fernandes and Tonali are not worth the money Spurs have offered.
03 Jul 2026 14:35:07
Gilly, Fernandes never reached Baleba's last year's highs. Baleba played like one of the 2-3 best midfielders in the league. I would prefer Baleba all days of the week.