Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer business has often been questioned in recent years, particularly during Daniel Levy’s time in charge in north London.
The former president was often criticized by supporters for his lack of spending in the transfer market, but it is no exaggeration to say that the Lilywhites have splurged in recent seasons.
Back in the summer of 2024, the organization reportedly paid £65 million to sign striker Dominic Solanke, a move that broke the club’s transfer record.
Since the summer of 2022, the Lilywhites have spent just under £700m on new players alone, highlighting the support the board has shown to various managers.
A player recently moved to North London, but early signs don’t seem to be as positive as many of the club’s supporters had hoped.
The statistics behind Conor Gallagher’s start to life at Spurs
During the winter transfer window, Spurs paid close to £34m to sign midfielder Conor Gallagher to strengthen the quality of the core of the side.
The Englishman’s move certainly divided opinion among fans, and those who were opposed to such a move began to look as if their skepticism was vindicated.
He has made five appearances since arriving from the La Liga giants but has failed to grab the attention and his stats speak to his struggles in north London.
The 26-year-old has only completed 81% of the passes he has attempted so far, ranking him in the bottom 20% of all midfielders in his division this season.
He has also won just 1.5 tackles per 90 since returning to the Premier League, which is certainly far lower than fans would have expected given his record when not in possession.
There is little denying that Gallagher has so far failed to reach the heights expected of him, and the pressure to succeed could certainly increase after a move like this.
Spurs star now worth more than Gallagher
As mentioned above, Spurs have spent a lot of money on new players in recent years, but not all of that investment has gone into big-money additions.
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Pape Matar Sarr is just one of many players to have joined the Lilywhites in recent years, with the Senegalese international reportedly set to join in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £16 million.
Since then, he has made over 100 appearances for North London, also scoring 11 times, often featuring in key moments within the final third of the pitch.
But he is not the only teenager to join Spurs to further his career, with Swedish star Lukas Bergvall also doing the same in the summer of 2024.
The bosses reportedly paid £8m for the 20-year-old from his home club Djurgården, beating out the likes of Barcelona to secure his signature.
Many initially expected the teenager to link up with the club’s academy, but last season’s extensive injury list meant he was given the perfect chance to stake a claim for a first-team spot.
Bergvall made 45 appearances in all competitions under manager Ange Postecoglou and went on to play a key role in their success in the Europa League.
The youngster received huge praise as a result of his incredible performance in North London. That includes The Athletic’s JJ Bull, who compared him to Luka Modric.
“(Bergvall) has a first touch like Modric. You can fire at him and he controls it. I think you can tell a lot about a player with the first touch. Anyway, Bergvall is rightly an ace,” JJ Bull of Bergvall said.
The praise for such a young talent is huge, especially considering the player being compared was a fan favorite with the Lilywhites before winning six Champions League titles with Real Madrid.
The 2025/26 season was an injury-hit season for Bergvall, as he only made 26 appearances in all competitions under Frank’s guidance.
Lukas Bergvall – PL statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (every 90) | tally |
games played | 17 |
goals and assists | 3 |
Pass accuracy | 83% |
dribbling success | 70% |
tackle win | 2.2 |
won a duel | 4.8 |
recovery has taken place | 3.8 |
shot taken | 1.1 |
He is expected to return to full fitness in the coming months, which could allow him to become a key member of the squad under the guidance of interim manager Igor Tudor.
However, his lack of action has not stopped his market value from skyrocketing in recent months, with Transfermarkt now valuing the youngster at £35m, an increase of £27m.
Such a valuation is currently higher than new signing Gallagher, with the English player currently worth just £30m despite his recent winter move from Atletico Madrid.
Bergvall is just one example of the great business that can develop in north London, and the 20-year-old still has a big future ahead of him at the club.
However, given the huge fee spent on his contract and his lack of influence, there is undoubtedly increasing pressure on the new signing to stamp his authority at the heart of the team.
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