After taking the reins from Ange Postecoglou during the off-season, the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy needed to hand Thomas Frank the funds he needed to make the necessary additions he demanded.

The Dane made a beeline for the signature of West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus, subsequently forking out a fee in the region of £55m for his signature.

The Ghanaian has already been a crucial member of the squad in 2025/26, missing just nine minutes of Premier League action and nailing down the right-wing position as his own.

He’s already demonstrated his quality in North London, registering two assists to date – one of which was for Richarlison, with the Brazilian’s acrobatic effort against Burnley winning the club’s goal of the month.

Kudus’ subsequent move to join the Lilywhites puts him in a limited group of players in their history, joining multiple players who have joined for at least £50m – but how did the last three other players in the category fare?

The last three Spurs players who joined for at least £50m

Just last summer, Spurs forked out a club-record £65m to land the services of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth – with a real impetus on the Englishman to provide the goods in the final third.

However, just over 12 months on, the 28-year-old has struggled with injuries, only making 31 minutes of league action this season – failing to add to his tally of 16 goals from 2024/25.

The aforementioned Richarlison was another player who joined for big money, making the move to the capital from Everton after the hierarchy paid £50m for his signature in the summer of 2022.

The Brazilian has received a new lease of life under Frank, already netting twice this campaign, taking his total goals for the Lilywhites to 22 in his 96 appearances across all competitions.

Both players have arguably been a success, but the same can’t be said for Tanguy Ndombele, with the Frenchman previously being their record addition before Solanke joined the side.

He cost a staggering £63m from Lyon in the summer of 2019, but his lack of fitness led to huge questions around his transfer – evidently not being at the speed needed for the Premier League.

After 91 appearances in North London, he would depart on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, further highlighting how much of a disaster his transfer turned out to be.

Kudus will be hoping to avoid replicating the latter, but one other player now falls into the category of high fees after his remarkable performances since making his own transfer to the club.

The Spurs player already worth more than Kudus

Whilst much has been made about Spurs’ lack of spending over recent years, the hierarchy have shown their backing within the transfer market under various managers.

In the last three years alone, over £400m has been spent on new additions in the window, funds which undoubtedly contributed to their incredible Europa League triumph last season.

All areas of the pitch have been strengthened as a result, which have also allowed Frank to hit the ground running with his record of four wins from his five competitive outings.

The backline has played a massive part, keeping clean sheets in all of those victories, with Micky van de Ven being a crucial part of their recent success in the defensive third.

The Dutch international arrived as an unknown quantity to many back in the summer of 2023, but he’s rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most impressive and valuable centre-backs.

He clocked the fastest speed of any player in England’s top-flight in 2024/25, which enabled him to have an effect at both ends of the pitch despite the lowly league finish.

Van de Ven’s most impressive moment certainly came against Manchester United at Old Trafford, gliding past the opposition from one end to another, before teeing up Brennan Johnson for an easy finish at the back post.

The 24-year-old, who’s been dubbed “sensational” by The Athletic’s Jay Harris, also demonstrated his defensive prowess, with his acrobatic goal-line clearance against the same side securing the Lilywhites’ first trophy in 17 years.

His pace at the back is unconventional for a centre-back, but it’s made him a monster hit with the fanbase – with his performances making his value soar in recent times.

Games played

13

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

91%

Dribble success

50%

Tackles won

60%

Aerials won

1.7

Interceptions made

1.1

Recoveries made

5.6

He’s now valued at £53.2m by FootballTransfers, a £16m increase on the fee the hierarchy forked out for his signature back in the summer of 2023 under Postecoglou’s guidance.

His subsequent value is higher than that of new addition, Kudus, with the attacker now worth £45.9m despite his big-money arrival just a couple of months ago.

Both players have the tools to play a real part in any success that could be achieved during Frank’s tenure in North London over the next couple of seasons.

However, it’s evidence that the club have turned the corner in the transfer market and are now making sensational pieces of business that could make them a force to be reckoned with once again.

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