Tottenham’s best Premier League signings of all time

Few things in football compare to the excitement of seeing a new signing arrive at your club, with supporters often dreaming of what a player could achieve before they have even pulled on the shirt.

Tottenham Hotspur have more than had their fair share of transfer disappointments over the years, but the club have also unearthed some outstanding talents who went on to leave a lasting mark in North London.

From midfield maestros to world-class forwards, Spurs have had some truly memorable Premier League signings, with the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Jermain Defoe perhaps unlucky not to feature in our top five, highlighting just how many great players the club have had over the years.

Here, Football Whispers counts down the best Premier League signings in Spurs' history, specifically their best five, ranked by their impact, longevity, and overall success story at the club.

5) Dele

Signed as a teenager from MK Dons for just £5m in February, Dele went on to spend seven seasons at Tottenham, making more than 250 appearances in all competitions and scoring 67 goals from midfield.

Under Mauricio Pochettino, he quickly established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet, playing a key role as Spurs came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League title on two occasions.

The 2016-17 campaign was particularly impressive, with Dele scoring 18 league goals as Tottenham finished second behind Chelsea despite mounting a serious title challenge.

There were plenty of other memorable moments during his time in North London, including a famous effort from outside the box against Crystal Palace, a brace in a historic 3-1 Champions League victory over Real Madrid and another double at Stamford Bridge as Spurs finally ended their 28-year wait for a win at Chelsea's home ground.

Sadly, his career has since taken a downward turn, with the midfielder later opening up about difficult experiences during his childhood, but his remarkable impact at Tottenham means the £5m investment ultimately proved to be one of the club's finest pieces of business.

4) Christian Eriksen

When Gareth Bale left Tottenham for a then-world-record £85.1m transfer fee, much of the discussion centred around how the club spent that money, with several of the players brought in failing to live up to their price tags.

One notable exception was Christian Eriksen, who joined from Ajax for around £11m in the summer of 2013 and remained in North London until 2020.

During his time at N17, the Dane made 226 Premier League appearances for Spurs, scoring 51 goals and providing 62 assists from midfield.

Eriksen formed part of an exciting attacking unit alongside Dele, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, making it all the more surprising that he left Tottenham without a trophy to his name despite playing such a pivotal role during one of the club's strongest periods in the Premier League era.

Since leaving Spurs, Eriksen has even faced his former club in a Europa League final, ironically suffering a 1-0 defeat in Bilbao.

3) Luka Modric

The summer of 2008 saw Tottenham Hotspur lose key players Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane, prompting Daniel Levy to personally fly to Zagreb to secure the signature of Luka Modric.

The Croatian midfielder spent four seasons at White Hart Lane and, despite making a slow start to life in North London, quickly established himself as one of the club's greatest-ever players.

Modric made 127 Premier League appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring 13 goals, including a memorable long-range strike against Liverpool that remains one of his finest efforts in a Tottenham shirt.

He also played a crucial role in helping Spurs qualify for their first-ever Champions League campaign in 2010-11, with Harry Redknapp's side finishing fourth in the Premier League the previous season following a famous late win over Manchester City.

Modric eventually joined Real Madrid, with Tottenham almost doubling their initial investment, and went on to enjoy a remarkable career in Spain, winning six Champions League titles and establishing himself as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation.

2) Gareth Bale

Possibly the greatest British player of all time, alongside Tottenham's highest Premier League scorer Harry Kane, Gareth Bale joined Spurs from Southampton in 2007 for around £5m and went on to make a huge name for himself during his time at White Hart Lane.

It took some time for the Welshman to settle in North London, with Bale needing 25 games before winning his first match for the club.

However, he soon developed into one of Tottenham's most important players before eventually leaving for a then-world-record transfer fee.

Initially signed as a left-back, Bale's breakthrough season came in the 2009-10 campaign, when he helped Spurs qualify for their maiden Champions League appearance.

He announced himself on the European stage with a stunning hat-trick in a 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan at San Siro, before tearing the reigning European champions apart again in the return fixture as Harry Redknapp's side secured a famous 3-1 victory.

At the time, Maicon was regarded as the best full-back in the world, but Bale's performance led to the famous ‘Taxi for Maicon' chants after the Brazilian was repeatedly beaten and tormented by the Welshman.

Bale subsequently transitioned into a winger for the remainder of his Tottenham career before earning his big-money move to Real Madrid.

The ‘Welsh Wizard' went on to score a famous brace in the Champions League final against Liverpool after coming off the bench, with the victory forming part of a remarkable career that saw him win five Champions League titles.

1) Son Heung-min

In 2015, Tottenham Hotspur had to choose between signing Saido Berahino and Son Heung-min, and thankfully for Spurs fans, the club made a rare right decision by opting for the latter.

After just 12 months in England, the South Korean forward was considering leaving after struggling to adapt to the Premier League, but he ultimately stayed and went on to become one of the greatest forwards in Tottenham's history, while also developing into one of the most popular players ever to represent the club.

A huge part of Tottenham's success under Mauricio Pochettino, Son developed an almost telepathic relationship with Harry Kane, with the duo combining for a Premier League-record 47 goals as a partnership.

The South Korean made it to double figures in eight of his 10 Premier League seasons, with his best campaign coming in 2021-22 when he netted 23 goals to win the Golden Boot outright.

His decade in North London saw him make more than 450 appearances and score 173 goals in all competitions, he eventually left the club on a unusual high after lifting a European trophy with Tottenham following their 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao in 2025 and is an obvious choice to come in at number one on our list.

The Asian forward has since moved to MLS side Los Angeles FC, where he has already found the back of the net 18 times.