In recent months, Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in the transfer market has handed boss Ange Postecoglou the best possible chance of cementing the club’s place as a top-four Premier League side this season.
Since his appointment last summer, numerous key first-team members have been added, helping Spurs in their battle to secure consistent Champions League football in North London.
James Maddison joined the side in a £40m deal from Leicester City after their relegation to the Championship at the end of the 2022/23 season – with the midfielder enjoying a successful first 12 months under Postecoglou.
The Englishman has registered a total of 18 combined goals and assists since his big-money transfer, providing a huge attacking threat from a deeper position on the field.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has also impressed after arriving last summer, nailing down the number one spot, making 49 appearances and keeping 11 clean sheets in the process.
However, despite the recent impressive signings from the club’s recruitment team, they have also enjoyed success in the transfer market during previous years, signing players who managed to have a huge impact on the first team.
Tottenham’s summer transfer window in 2015
After finishing fifth in the 2014/15 season, Spurs had the task of recruiting well during the off-season to push and secure a Champions League spot in the following season.
Owner Daniel Levy spent big that summer, forking out £22m for the signature of winger Heung-min Son from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen – a bargain given his impact in North London since his transfer.
The South Korean star has since registered 164 goals in his 415 appearances for the Lilywhites, often being the player to create carnage in the final third after Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich last summer.
Toby Alderweireld also arrived during the same transfer window, joining for only £11.5m from Atlético Madrid – in a move to help bolster Mauricio Pochettino’s backline.
The deal was undoubtedly a successful one, with the Belgian forming an excellent partnership with compatriot Jan Vertonghen and making 236 appearances during his six years in the capital.
However, another defensive reinforcement was added in the form of Austrian Kevin Wimmer, joining for just £4m from German side FC Koln on a five-year contract.
Undoubtedly, he was seen as one for the future but was unable to dislodge any of the aforementioned duo – restricting him to just 31 appearances at White Hart Lane.
He only lasted two years at the club, before he was sold to fellow Premier League side Stoke City in the summer of 2017 – a deal that proved to be an excellent one from a Spurs viewpoint.
Kevin Wimmer’s market value in 2024
His move to join the Potters saw Spurs bank £18m, subsequently making a £14m profit despite his lack of appearances – with his form at Stoke failing to demonstrate such a high transfer figure.
The now 31-year-old only managed 19 appearances under boss Mark Hughes, before three separate loan spells away from the Bet365 Stadium before eventually leaving the club in 2021 with the Potters now a Championship outfit.
Seven years on from his transfer away from North London, his market value has continued to plummet, with the Austrian now plying his trade for Slovak Bratislava in Slovakia.
Stoke City
2017-21
19
0
Hannover 96
2018-19 (loan)
24
1
Royal Excel Mouscron
2019-20 (loan)
18
0
Karlsruher SC
2021 (loan)
10
0
Rapid Wien
2021-23
50
2
Slovan Bratislava
2023-now
56
1
He featured against Manchester City in the Champions League this season, but it hasn’t stopped his decline in value, with Wimmer now only valued at £500k as per Transfermarkt.
It’s positive to see a former player finally looking settled after a torrid few years after a failed transfer, but from a financial perspective, the hierarchy certainly made the right call in selling the defender.
His lack of impact at Spurs made it a no-brainer to cash in on the Austrian defender, making a hefty profit on a fringe player – allowing for further investment in key first-team players down the line.
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