It’s fast becoming one of the most eagerly-anticipated days on the footballing calendar – transfer deadline day.
Spurs fans would’ve been dissapointed with Mauricio Pochettino’s lack of activity on Tuesday’s bi-yearly event, but previous history shows that missing out on a number of targets could prove to be a bullet or two dodged.
To mark the end of another topsy-turby transfer window, Ashley Thornton-Jones takes a look at Spurs’ five worst deadline day deals:
05. Benjamin Stambouli
The French U21 international arrived on the summer deadline day of the 2014/15 season, but might aswell have not unpacked his bags. He made just 12 Premier League appearances at White Hart Lane, before being deemed surpless to requirements by Pochettino, who duly sent the player back to France at the first opportunity less than 12 months later (Yep, that’s one appearance for every month at the club). Remarkably, not only did Daniel Levy reimburse the £4.7m he paid Montpellier for the centre-midfielder, but he actually managed to make a profit, selling him on mega-rich PSG for £6m in July 2015. Good bit of business, that.
04. Andy Reid
An arrival from Nottingham Forest on the final day of the January transfer window in 2005, the Irishman simply never met expectations at North London. He was part of a strange deal that saw £8m parted with for not just Reid, but also Forest team mate Michael Dawson, and Spurs fans can find some comfort from the fact that half of that fee was well-spent, at least. Martin Jol would’ve wished he negotiated a deal for just the centre-back, however, as Reid lasted no longer than 18 months at Spurs, before being shipped out to Charlton Athletic for a measley £3m.
03. Gilberto
Forgotten by many, but on January 31, 2008, Juande Ramos splashed out on a little-known Brazilian who went by the name of Gilberto da Silva Melo. 14 goals in 101 appearances for Hertha Berlin suggested Spurs might have had a bargain on their hands for just £1.9m, but the midfielder was unable to recapture any such form at White Hart Lane. He made just eight league appearances before returning home to sign for Cruzerio 18 months later, but departed London with the knowledge that he was Spurs’ first ever Brazilian player – which is something, at least.
02. Gregorsz Rasiak
After signing on the final day of the 04/05 season’s summer transfer window, Martin Jol described the Pole as “a tall target-man, a hard-working honest player, with a good goal-scoring record”. Spurs fans might’ve been forgiven for thinking Derby sent the wrong player to London, as Rasiak failed to score a single goal at White Hart Lane, before being shipped out on loan to Southampton six months later, where he would eventually sign permanently. Again, Levy’s ability to somehow sell the striker for almost as much as he bought him for is more impressive than anything the player did on the pitch.
01. Hossam Ghaly
The Egyptian had all the talent to succeed at White Hart Lane after arriving from Feyenoord in January 2006, but too an attitude that constantly failed him. Ghaly was loathed by fans ever since throwing his shirt to the floor after being substituted in a match against Blackburn Rovers in his second season – an incident that ensured he played just 21 times for the club. Attempts to sell the player in the months that would follow came to nothing, however his Spurs career looked set to be revitalised when Harry Redknapp named him on the bench for a 2009 FA Cup tie. Fans had not forgot the incident two years previous, though and jeered the player whilst warming up, leading Redknapp to decide against bringing the player on. That signalled the long-awaited ending of Ghaly’s time in North London, as 20 days later, he signed for All-Nassr.
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