The north Londoners have made numerous transfer missteps in recent years, with one in particular disappointing.
Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of greatness has taken them on an almighty rollercoaster of a journey, with it seemingly set to hit its peak under the new leadership of Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian has brought some feel-good spirit back to north London after years without, cultivating an expressive and attacking philosophy that has garnered results in the Premier League too. Although fans are likely aware that the good times will not last forever, they can be forgiven for relishing in such delight for a moment longer.
Especially given the emotional wringer they have been put through by the ownership, who saw such an aggressive shift in the direction they sought to take the club just four years ago.
Seemingly content with Mauricio Pochettino’s slow and steady tenure, which had returned them to the top of English football even if he had failed to win a trophy, Daniel Levy’s mindset suddenly switched. No longer was he willing to trust the process, and by sacking the Argentine he kickstarted a chain of events that would set the club back years. Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all cut forlorn figures on the sidelines before their eventual dismissals, having failed to progress a side that starred in the Champions League final not too long ago.
Although many will rush to lambast the Italian’s tenure, given its recency and explosive nature, it was the legendary Portuguese boss who was the first to fail in N17.
The Chelsea legend tried and failed to turn the Lilywhites into a title-winning outfit, but that was the least of the issues he faced.
How did Jose Mourinho get on at Spurs?
Having been appointed in November 2019, the acquisition of a proven winner such as him marked a coup for Levy, who clearly was prioritising silverware over everything else.
After all, who better to bring trophies to the club than Mourinho, whose trophy cabinet consists of three Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and various other domestic honours across Spain, Italy and Portugal. Before Spurs, the 60-year-old had won a trophy at every club he managed.
However, his failure was not solely attached to an inability to achieve that goal, although he did lead them to an EFL Cup final which he did not get to oversee.
Turgid, defensive football was a stark contrast from Pochettino’s high-octane style, and when it fails to bring results, fans are always bound to become frustrated.
However, in typical Mourinho fashion, he would fall out with a number of his players who clearly did not comply with his teachings. This unsurprisingly raised tensions at the club, making it far from an environment for success.
With the current AS Roma tactician having been dismissed before he was allowed to take them to Wembley in that aforementioned final, it is understandable that he would harbour some distaste towards the outfit that sullied his trophy-winning reputation. He would aim digs at both the club and its chairman in an interview back in May: “I hope the Tottenham fans don’t get me wrong but the only club in my career where I don’t have still a deep feeling for is Tottenham.
“Probably because the stadium was empty, COVID time. Probably because Mr Levy [Spurs chairman Daniel Levy] didn’t let me win a final and win a trophy. But it’s the only one, so after that — Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, Manchester United — all the clubs I feel a connection.”
However, although it might seem incomparable given all that has been mentioned regarding the struggles faced during his reign, the decision to sell Kyle Walker-Peters is one which goes painfully under the radar given how he has shone since leaving.
Having emerged through their academy as a diminutive youngster, his quality never really seemed appreciated in north London despite the maturity he showcased that belied his youth.
Transfermarkt may have documented his steady rise in value that mirrors his growth in prominence, but even then it barely scratches the surface of just how good the 26-year-old was.
Starting at a mere €250k (£214k) in 2017, this rose over a year to a more admirable €3m (£2.6m) before reaching his peak at Spurs when he hit €10m (£8.6m) in the months before his sale. Despite that upward trajectory, the fee they would receive was pitiful looking back on it.
How much did Southampton sign Kyle Walker-Peters for?
Although it might seem like overpaying when viewing the aforementioned valuations, but the £12m that Southampton had to pay for Walker-Peters has marked a terrible piece of business for the selling club.
After all, despite still being so young and already boasting top-flight experience, Mourinho seemed completely uninterested in furthering his development that could have either seen him grow into a mainstay under his tutelage or leave for far more money.
When seeing how the 5 foot 8 ace has grown since moving to St Mary’s Stadium, this failure is exacerbated.
Having been an imperative figure for the South Coast club for years now, his value was bound to rise as his exposure to the top level grew.
Even with dropping into the Championship, this marks the pinnacle of his value thus far in an impressive career, suggesting that should he help instigate their instant promotion, it could rise even higher.
Despite that, the €25m (£21.4m) attached to his name still marks an impressive figure, and when comparing it to his final value before leaving Spurs, he has actually seen a sharp 75% increase since departing, in relation to that £12m figure. Walker-Peters’ form is only set to make such a fee even worse too, as he only goes from strength to strength.
Although he may have fallen to relegation with his current club, Walker-Peters remains a true stalwart and the full package, with tactical intelligence, dynamism and technical prowess in abundance.
Having made 125 appearances for the Saints now, the peak of his powers arguably came during the 2021/22 Premier League term, although he is currently shining in the Championship of late too.
Maintaining a 6.85 average rating during the former season, he would create five big chances, maintain an 81% pass accuracy and record 1.8 tackles per game as his side finished 15th in the table, via Sofascore.
During this current campaign however, his 7.32 average rating is far more indicative of his importance to the side even after just five games, with a 91% pass accuracy feeding into his one key pass, 1.6 tackles and 4.8 ball recoveries per game.
A creative threat from full-back, it was no surprise to see him lauded by former boss Ruben Selles, even as they cruised to relegation: “I think Kyle is an extraordinary player. His ability in positions, but also to understand the system we are playing has big value for us. He came from Tottenham in the final of the Champions League that season and played games in it. He’s a player that is very important for us.”
Had Mourinho spared a thought before pulling the trigger on his sale, he could still be starring in north London today.
