Hojbjerg bargain, Vinicius success, Bale frustration – Tottenham’s nine summer signings rated


Tottenham fans will be hoping it’s a very busy summer once again at the club as was the case ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Having added both Gedson Fernandes and Steven Bergwijn to the squad in January, Jose Mourinho brought in seven new faces to bolster the numbers in his quest to bring silverware to the capital.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was the first to sign on a deal from Southampton following plenty of speculation about a switch earlier in the year, with experienced goalkeeper Joe Hart the next to arrive in N17 on a free transfer.

Strengthening the full-back areas with Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon signing on the dotted line, September also saw the return of Gareth Bale to the club on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid after Daniel Levy worked his magic to strike an agreement with Los Blancos.

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That wasn’t to be the end of their business, however, as the Lilywhites’ long hunt for a new striker ended when Carlos Vinicius signed on loan from Benfica, before Joe Rodon completed a move from Swansea City as Tottenham addressed their centre-back shortage.

So have they all done since joining? football.london takes a look.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Some Spurs fans may have had doubts about the arrival of the Danish international at Tottenham Hotspur Saturday but he is a firm favourite now.

Apart from a poor debut at home to Everton when pretty much everyone was off their game, Hojbjerg has really caught the eye with his no-nonsense displays in the middle of the park.

Giving the backline a shield that they so desperately needed last time, the ex-Bayern Munich man just makes the team tick by breaking up play and getting it forward immediately.

Playing a total of 3,429 minutes in all competitions so far, Mourinho and Tottenham simply just cannot do without him.

Definitely a contender to be a future Tottenham captain. 8.5

Joe Hart

Hart was brought in as cover for Hugo Lloris but he has so far made ten appearances for his new club.

Not having a lot to do in some of Tottenham’s Europa League games, he will feel he should’ve done so much better in the 3-3 draw away at LASK.

Joe Hart has made quite an impression since joining Tottenham
Joe Hart has made quite an impression since joining Tottenham

One thing that has been noticeable is that he’s brought a lot to the Spurs dressing room in terms of his leadership and experience.

May not be a regular but he has been a good addition. 5

Matt Doherty

Excellent for Wolves in the Premier League in the previous two seasons and was viewed as an shrewd piece of business for just over £13m.

It’s just not worked out for him at Tottenham just yet, however.

Serge Aurier has taken his game up a level since the arrival of the Republic of Ireland international and it has seen Doherty have to settle for a place on the bench.

Playing in a different system has had a big impact and it’s clear to see he has plenty to do after finding himself out of the matchday squad at Aston Villa despite carrying no injury. 4.5

Sergio Reguilon

Left-back was not a priority position for Tottenham in the summer but a deal for Reguilon was simply too good to turn down.

He has given Tottenham an attacking threat from left-back again that had been missing in the previous couple of seasons and the attackers have really benefitted from having him in the side.

Five assists to his name so far and a few more could follow in the final few weeks of the campaign.

An excellent piece of business from the club. 8

Gareth Bale

Tottenham fans have had to wait a fair while to see Bale back towards his best after such a frustrating start to life back at the club.

Gareth Bale has caught the eye in the past month or so after a slow start to his Tottenham return
Gareth Bale has caught the eye in the past month or so after a slow start to his Tottenham return

Barely featuring in the league in the first part of the campaign due to injuries and fitness issues, the 31-year-old really made an impact one month ago with doubles against Burnley and Crystal Palace.

Never going to be the player that departed White Hart Lane in 2013, Bale can still have a major say for Tottenham if he keeps himself fit and that could prove to be the difference over whether or not he is still in N17 in 2021/22. 6.5

Carlos Vinicius

Spurs did leave it quite late in the transfer window until they finally managed to bring a new striker in as Levy once again pulled off a fine piece of business.

Really making an impression for Benfica last season in terms of his numbers, Vinicius currently has ten goals and three assists to his name so far, with nine of those strikes coming in cup competitions.

He needs more minutes to show what he can do in the Premier League but nobody can argue that he’s come in and done what he was supposed to do after signing for Spurs. 7

Joe Rodon

Rodon has had limited opportunities in the side so far but he has impressed when he has played.

Clearly needing a sustained run in the team to show how good a centre-back he can be, Mourinho may well give him what he desperately craves now after a good performance away at Aston Villa.

Signing just after the Europa League registration deadline has had an impact on his pitch time this season but he does look like he will have a bright future at the club going forward. 6

And two for the future

Alfie Devine

Signed from Wigan Athletic in July for £500,000, the 16-year-old really has made a huge impression despite his tender years.

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Involved for the team in pre-season and then scored on his senior debut for Spurs as he netted a lovely finish in the FA Cup win over non-league side Marine.

Clearly doing something right after finding himself on the bench in two Premier League games so far. N/A

Marcel Lavinier

The full-back joined the club in October after his exit from Chelsea.

Was given the final 16 minutes in the 4-0 win over Wolfsberger AC and was an unused sub in two other European knockout games. N/A





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