In 2013, Spurs were forced to blow up their squad after Gareth Bale’s world record sale to Real Madrid.
The Welshman had scored 26 goals in the previous season, winning various Premier League singles awards ahead of players like Luis Suarez and Eden Hazard.
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Spurs recruited the “Magnificent Seven” in the summer of 2013
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Gareth Bale was introduced to Real Madrid in September 2013Image credit: AFP
But there was a problem – Tottenham missed Champions League qualification by a point.
Daniel Levy was optimistic that he could keep his star, but Real Madrid turned their charm offensive and it soon became a matter of when, not if.
So Spurs got busy, hiring seven new players for more than £ 100 million – over time they had “sold Elvis and signed the Beatles”.
But while Bale won four Champions League titles with Madrid, Spurs’ signings showed contrasting performances.
So let’s see what happened to the “Big Seven”.
ROBERTO SOLDADO – € 26 million
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Spurs thought they had a successful goalscorer in SoldadoCredit: Action Images – Reuters
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Soldado, 36, recently moved to Levante from La Liga rivals GranadaCredit: AFP OR LICENSOR
The Spaniard Soldado was perhaps the most exciting of the acquisitions when he arrived from Valencia for £ 26m, fresh from the Confederations Cup buzz and 24 LaLiga goals.
Despite his best efforts, his time at White Hart Lane was a disaster as he scored just seven goals in 52 Premier League games – five of them from the penalty spot.
Levy managed to get £ 10million out of Villarreal for his services in 2015 and has played for Fenerbahce and Granada since then.
The now 36-year-old has signed a two-year deal with Spanish first division club Levante after scoring nine goals in 29 games last season.
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PAULINHO – £ 17 million
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The Brazilian struggled to make a difference at SpursImage Credit: Getty – Contributor
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Paulinho, who has just moved to the Saudi team Al-Ahli, has had success in Guangzhou EvergrandeCredit: AFP or Licensor
Spurs fans thought they were getting “the Brazilian Frank Lampard” when Paulinho arrived at N17.
Initial performances were consistent, with a late winner in Cardiff causing a pandemonium among traveling fans.
Things went downhill very quickly, however, when Paulinho received the red card from Andre Villas-Boas in the final game before turning into a nervous wreck that ended up barely able to complete a five yard pass.
He was offered as a lifeline by Chinese Super League giant Guangzhou Evergrande, where he became a big star – over a very strange, if not entirely unsuccessful, year at Barcelona.
The 33-year-old Paulinho recently teamed up with the Saudi side Al-Ahli on a deal until 2024.
VLAD CHIRICHES – £ 8m
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The Romanian struggled to correct his mistakes at Tottenham. to reducePhoto credit: Bradley Ormesher – The Sun
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A considerably creepier-looking Chiriches now turns out for Sassuolo in Serie A.Photo credit: Reuters
Fans were excited upon Chiriches’ arrival as they thought they had unearthed a hidden gem of Steaua Bucharest with a penchant for playing the ball from behind.
And while he was very relaxed, this often proved to the detriment of the team as his casual style tended to give the opponent easy goals while keeping the fans’ hearts in his mouth.
Like Soldado and Paulinho, Chiriches spent two seasons in the lane before shipping to Napoli.
The Romanian managed just 48 games in four seasons in San Paulo before joining Sassuolo on loan two years ago – before making it permanent for just under £ 10million last summer.
NACER CHADLI – € 7 million
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Chadli became a useful player in his three years at SpursPhoto credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
As one of the more successful acquisitions this summer, Chadli became a popular figure at Spurs despite a disappointing start.
The Belgian came from FC Twente after scoring at home and away against Tottenham in the 2010/11 Champions League season.
But it wasn’t until his second season that he really started to shine, scoring 13 goals when Mauricio Pochettino began to change the club’s fate.
He went to West Brom in 2017 and moved to Istanbul Basaksehir last summer via stints in Monaco and Anderlecht.
ETIENNE CAPOUE – £ 9m
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Etienne Capoue struggled to make a huge impact at SpursPhoto credit: PA: Empics Sport
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Capoue helped Villarreal beat Manchester United in the Europa League final in MayImage Credit: Getty – Pool
Capoue is neither terrible nor extraordinarily memorable and is possibly the most forgotten player of the seven.
After Sandro resigned due to knee injuries, Capoue initially seemed like the perfect slide for Mousa Dembele in his place.
But the Frenchman fell out of favor despite consistent performances despite being hung up to dry as a makeshift center-back after some terrible appearances.
He lasted a season beyond Pochettino’s arrival in 2014 before moving to Watford.
Capoue made 11 appearances in the championship in the first half of the 2020/21 season before joining Villarreal in January.
And his influence was immediate when he helped the Spanish team beat Manchester United in the Europa League final – the club’s first major trophy in their history.
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN – € 11 million
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Eriksen was a talisman figure at Tottenham for more than six seasonsPhoto credit: Getty Images – Getty
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The Danish international Eriksen teamed up with Inter Milan in January 2020Photo credit: Getty Images – Getty
Undoubtedly the most successful acquisition of the summer, Christian Eriksen was an outstanding, indispensable member of the squad for six years before finally moving to Inter Milan in January 2020.
A bargain for £ 11m, the Dane covered cracks during Tim Sherwood’s tenure and kept getting a brilliant goal or a brilliant moment to get the team out of trouble.
He then became the heartbeat on Pochettino’s side, so much so that they had difficulty adjusting when he was away.
Eriksen admitted his desire to “try something new” after losing the 2019 Champions League final and joined Inter six months later.
The playmaker helped Inter win the Serie A title last season but his playing career hangs in the balance after suffering cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
ERIK LAMELA – £ 30m
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Lamela joined Spurss just two days before Bale’s move to Madrid was confirmedCredit: Action Images – Reuters
Erik Lamela is the last of the “Magnificent Seven” to leave North London.
The 29-year-old Argentinian Lamela actually got off to a bizarre start at Spurs. He started just three league games in his first season before returning to his homeland after a back injury at the start of Tim Sherwood’s tenure.
He returned after the arrival of his compatriot Pochettino and fought for a spot before sustaining a serious hip injury in October 2016 that would keep him out for 13 months.
Lamela bounced back and returned to action – she came up with 255 games before joining Sevilla in a swap deal, with Bryan Gil going in the opposite direction.
His most memorable moment will be his “Rabona” goal in their 2-1 loss to Arsenal in March, when he won the Premier League goal of the season.
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