At a glance:
- Tottenham sold many superstars
- Some were sold too early
- They went on to have big careers
Tottenham Hotspur have always been a club that has been close to greatness but haven’t reached it, especially under the Lewis family.
Over the years, Spurs have competed in numerous competitions and even went close to winning them. However, their only two trophies under the Lewis family are the Carabao Cup (2007-08) and the UEFA Europa League (2024-25).
A lot of this is because of a lack of ambition and football knowledge. Tottenham’s poor recruitment has always let them down, which has also seen many superstars leave the club in search of trophies.
Many such players have gone on to have successful careers, while the north London side continues to struggle.
Tottenham have sold many players too early
Now, a club cannot arguably force a player to stay, because it would not be good for the dressing room or their contributions on the pitch.
However, whenever Spurs have had good talent at their disposal, they have failed to build the team around them. Harry Kane is arguably the biggest example of this.
Also Read: Complete list of every major trophy Tottenham Hotspur have won in history
Let’s take a look at 5 players Tottenham sold too early (Ranked):
5. Juan Foyth
Foyth joined Spurs from Argentine side Estudiantes in 2017. He was very young back then and required proper development. He could play both as a centre-back and a right-back and was a good member of the squad.
However, his game time majorly declined under Jose Mourinho, and he was sent on loan to Villarreal in 2020, before the move was made permanent the following year.
He has since won the Europa League and became Villarreal’s captain.
4. Kieran Trippier
Tottenham signed Trippier from Burnley in 2015. He made 114 appearances for them and was largely a solid right-back, despite some occasional mistakes. After Kyle Walker’s departure, he became a key member of the squad.
However, Spurs sold him in 2019 to Atletico Madrid. He won the LaLiga title with them and now captains Newcastle United, whom he led to the Carabao Cup win in 2025.
Tottenham, meanwhile, took a long time to find a good right-back, i.e., Pedro Porro, in January 2023.
3. Dimitar Berbatov
Berbatov became a Premier League icon as soon as he joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006. He recorded 46 goals and 29 assists in 102 games for them, winning the League Cup. However, he was sold just two years later to Manchester United.
Also Read: Dimitar Berbatov names ‘deeper issue’ at Tottenham Roberto De Zerbi must fix
The Bulgarian went on to have an incredible career at Old Trafford. However, one can only imagine how well he would have done under Harry Redknapp, alongside the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric.
2. Kyle Walker
Another player who left Tottenham in search of trophies and achieved exactly that. Walker formed a brilliant fullback partnership with Danny Rose under Mauricio Pochettino.
He recorded 229 senior appearances for Spurs.
However, Walker joined Manchester City in 2017 in search of silverware. He won six Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy with them, among other honors, before joining Burnley last year.
Also Read: Tottenham’s top five most expensive sales ft Bale and Kane
1. Luka Modric
Many would argue that Luka Modric is the greatest-ever player to don the Tottenham jersey in a competitive game.
After arriving from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, he slowly made his place in the team, recording 160 games. He ran the show for Spurs, also scoring some belters at times.
However, in 2012, he joined Real Madrid, admittedly after pressuring Daniel Levy. He is the most decorated player in Real Madrid’s history with 28 trophies. He also won the Ballon d’Or and is still going strong at 40.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have never been able to replace him and, in reality, will never either.
Also Read: Tottenham’s top five assist makers in Premier League history
Many such players have left Spurs and gone on to achieve great things. They haven’t just been benchwarmers, either, and often contributed to trophies and titles for other teams.
This just shows that if the Tottenham hierarchy had built a good team around such icons, they could have perhaps achieved much more than they have.
