Today, football is dominated by money. Through league finishes, sponsorship deals or TV deals, every club is doing their bit just to get more revenue to buy the best players in the world, and none more so than the Premier League. Tottenham are in the same boat.
The Lilywhites have made huge sales over the years to help compensate some of their fees, the most notable being Gareth Bale’s departure to Real Madrid well over a decade ago.
It seems every English team is breaking their transfer record each summer to find the next best talent, which can take their team up the table. Some of them helped Spurs achieve that, others have been far below the mark.
With that in mind, here is a look at Tottenham’s top five most expensive signings of all time, according to Transfermarkt.
5th – Richarlison: £50 million from Everton – July 2022
The Brazilian has had an up-and-down period ever since moving to White Hart Lane from the Toffees. In his final season at Goodison Park, he scored 10 times in the Premier League; he has only been able to match or better that record once at this stage, coming in 2023/24.
This season, he’s scored nine league goals, alongside four assists in 28 outings. During his time at the club, he’s never been a first-choice option, being behind Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dominic Solanke.
4th – Tanguy Ndombele: £53.8 million from Lyon – July 2019
There was a buzz in North London before this signing. Mauricio Pochettino’s side just came away broken-hearted after losing the UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool, but there was plenty to build on with a young team, and the Frenchman was an additional quality to a star-studded midfield.
Fast forward five years, and he was a certified flop who played just 91 times for Spurs.
He went on several loan moves before leaving on a free transfer to Nice in 2024. Ndombele has played just eight Ligue 1 games this season.
3rd – Mohamed Kudus: £55 million from West Ham – July 2025
Kudus made the switch from the London Stadium to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer. The season has been dreadful for the Lilywhites, but the Ghanaian international has been fine when he’s taken to the pitch.
He’s registered eight goal contributions in 19 league games and was on fire at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, he’s been out injured since January with a hamstring injury. The supporters will hope to see him in the shirt again, unless they suffer relegation.
2nd – Dominic Solanke: £55 million from Bournemouth – August 2024
As Harry Kane said his goodbyes to Spurs in 2023, no one truly filled the void he left behind. Therefore, the club moved quickly to sign the English forward from the Cherries a year later, though he hasn’t touched Kane’s numbers.
In two league campaigns, Solanke has scored 12 goals and has suffered several injury problems. While Spurs have been weak at the back, they have failed to find a recognised goalscorer. The 28-year-old was supposed to be the man, but he’s failed to live up to the high standards.
1st – Xavi Simons: £56.5 million from RB Leipzig – August 2025
As the window closed in on deadline day, Thomas Frank’s side needed a creative force, a player who could unlock any defence. Therefore, they pursued a move for the Dutch sensation before Chelsea could swoop in.
The club’s record signing has had a rollercoaster of a season. It started terribly, outside of his debut against West Ham.
As the season advanced, he looked much more crucial to the team, but he suffered an ACL tear against Wolves, which sees him out of action until 2027.
