Tottenham Hotspur do not have the best of reputations when it comes to buying players in the transfer window.
In fact, the fans have often decried the ownership for not backing their managers enough, which is entirely understandable considering Mauricio Pochettino was unable to sign a single player for 517 days.
However, for all the North Londoners’ historical lack of big spending in windows, they have always been strong sellers.
Daniel Levy has made a name for himself for being one of the toughest negotiators in the game, which has led to some pretty sizable sales in the past, including one player who was moved on for 750% more than he cost.
Ranking Spurs' best-ever sales
So before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of Spurs’ other impressive sales, starting with England international Kyle Walker.
The incredibly experienced full-back joined the North Londoners from Sheffield United for around £5m in 2009 and, after a few loan spells, became a mainstay in the first team during the 2011/12 season.
The 34-year-old went on to make 229 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring four goals and providing 18 assists before Manchester City signed him for a fee of £50m, which was not only a tidy £45m profit for Tottenham but also a record for a defender at the time.
From defence to attacker now and the club’s record sale: Harry Kane.
The England captain famously came up through the club’s academy after being released by North London rivals Arsenal, and after several loan moves himself, he ended up making 435 first-team appearances, in which he scored a staggering 280 goals and provided 61 assists.
Appearances
435
Starts
385
Minutes
34827′
Goals
280
Assists
61
Goal Involvements per Match
0.78
Minutes per Goal Involvement
102.13′
Points per Game
1.83
That means the Walthamstow-born monster averaged a goal involvement every 1.27 games during his time in the capital, which helped to justify the eye-watering £86.4m fee he cost Bayern Munich in 2023.
However, while Kane’s sale was a good bit of business from Levy and Co, a sale made a decade prior was even more impressive.
Gareth Bale: Spurs' best-ever sale
So, with Kane and Walker’s massive sales already covered, it should come as no surprise that the sale we reckon is Spurs’ best is that of Gareth Bale.
The Welsh superstar was signed for around £10m, including add-ons, in May 2007 and then sold for a then-world-record fee of £85m in the summer of 2013, meaning Tottenham sold the incredible winger for an astronomical 750% increase on their initial investment.
Moreover, while that would still be an impressive fee to receive for a player today, the fact Levy managed to get it over a decade ago is truly remarkable.
That said, the Cardiff-born monster proved to be value for money during his title-laden stay in the Spanish capital, and considering how well he was playing prior to the transfer, it was an entirely justifiable fee.
For example, even though the “once in a lifetime” star, as Wales manager Craig Bellamy described him, struggled with injuries and poor form early on in his Spurs career, a change in position from full-back to winger under Harry Redknapp set him on his way to becoming a world-class superstar.
During his first stint in North London, the incredible dynamo racked up a tally of 55 goals and 50 assists in 203 appearances, but it was in his final season before moving to Madrid that he truly reached a world-class standard.
Across 44 appearances in the 12/13 season, totalling 3891 minutes, the Welsh icon scored 26 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.22 games, or every 108.08 minutes.
Appearances
44
Starts
44
Minutes
3891′
Goals
26
Assists
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.81
Minutes per Goal Involvement
108.08′
Points per Game
1.86
Ultimately, Tottenham have made some impressive sales over the years, but considering the price they paid and the period in which they sold him, Bale’s sale remains the best in Spurs’ history.
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