Sanchez tops Spurs' odd record list

Tottenham have waited several weeks to make a splash in the transfer window and, on Friday, they did it in style.

Mauricio Pochettino's side smashed their transfer record to sign Davinson Sanchez from Ajax for a fee that could rise to €42million.

The 21-year-old won plenty of admirers for his form in the Eredivisie and Europa League last season, with Barcelona reportedly interested in the past, but spending such a sum on a relatively inexperienced defender still poses a risk – especially when you consider Spurs' success rate when it comes to big-money moves.

Too many of the biggest signings in their history have proved to be more of a famous flop than a fan favourite, although there are one or two gems in their top 10.

These are the names Sanchez has eclipsed to become Spurs' top transfer. Whether he can buck the trend remains to be seen...

MOUSSA SISSOKO: £31.5m from Newcastle United (August 2016)

Spurs finalised a then-record deal for Sissoko at 23.40 local time on August 31 last year. It's safe to say it was a last-ditch piece of business that smacked a little of desperation. So it has proved in the past year.

Sissoko's more powerful, direct-running approach seemed at odds with the style Pochettino has cultivated, and he only managed eight starts in the Premier League and one in European competition last season, despite his side's packed fixture schedule.

The France international has been linked with Turkish side Trabzonspor, but this week denied that he had agreed a move to any club.

ERIK LAMELA: £30m from Roma (August 2013)

Lamela has been more hit and miss than all-out flop during his four years in the Premier League.

Signed from Roma at the end of the transfer window, he missed most of his first season in England with a back injury and struggled to hit top gear in his second, despite making 46 appearances in total and scoring a memorable rabona goal against Asteras Tripolis in the Europa League.

Lamela began to show real signs of becoming a key player for Spurs in 2015-16 under Pochettino, but a hip problem sustained last October has kept the 25-year-old out of action ever since.

ROBERTO SOLDADO: £27m from Valencia (August 2013)

There was plenty of hype around Soldado when Spurs made him their record signing, using some of the funds earned from Gareth Bale's then-world-record move to Real Madrid.

Life at White Hart Lane started strongly for the man who had shone at Valencia, as he scored winning goals in his first two Premier League appearances and twice in a Europa League play-off win over Dinamo Tbilisi.

That was about as good as it got for Soldado. He managed only 12 more goals in a total of 76 appearances before being sold to Villarreal two years later in a cut-price deal. He joined Fenerbahce this month after two relatively successful years back in Spain.

SON HEUNG-MIN: £22m from Bayer Leverkusen (August 2015)

The first unquestionable 'hit' on the list, Son has established himself as a key part of Pochettino's plans and is one of the best pieces of transfer business for an English club in recent years.

The South Korea star scored 21 goals in all competitions last term, including six in five games in the FA Cup, despite not always earning a starting spot ahead of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Harry Kane.

The only blot on the former Hamburg man's career so far is the fact that he is yet to win a trophy.

VINCENT JANSSEN: £17m from AZ (July 2016)

Janssen reportedly earned interest from PSG thanks to his terrific Eredivisie form in 2015-16, making Spurs' deal to sign him seem like something of a coup.

A year later, the Netherlands striker has failed to get going in English football, scoring just twice in 27 Premier League appearances last season, 20 of which came as a substitute.

Kane's goalscoring heroics meant Janssen's poor return did not cause much damage to Spurs' season, but improvement is essential if he is to stay in Pochettino's plans.

PAULINHO: £16.5-17m from Corinthians (July 2013)

Paulinho started life in England in encouraging fashion, but things began to turn sour after Tim Sherwood – the man he later dismissed as "that Englishman" – replaced Andre Villas-Boas as manager.

The Brazil international failed to find form and fitness under Sherwood and later Pochettino and was allowed to join Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao in 2015.

Paulinho's time with Spurs is not looked upon fondly by most fans, but the midfielder appears to have had the last laugh, having completed a €40m switch to Barcelona only this week.

DARREN BENT: £16.5m from Charlton Athletic (June 2007)

Bent was one of the most highly-rated young English strikers when Spurs broke their record to sign him from Charlton, but his time at the club was not a happy one.

Having managed only 25 goals in two seasons, Bent was shipped to Sunderland at a £7m loss, but only after he criticised Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on Twitter for holding up the transfer (something for which he later apologised).

Bent later played for Aston Villa, Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion, and is now with Derby County in the Championship.

LUKA MODRIC: £15.8m from Dinamo Zagreb (April 2008)

It seems incredible that Modric cost less than £16m less than a decade ago, such has been his exceptional consistency in European football.

The Croatian was a relative unknown when he joined Spurs, but it was truly a steal at that price, with Modric going on to enjoy four hugely impressive years at the club.

Spurs nearly doubled their money when they sold him to Real Madrid in 2012, but that too looks a bargain. Undoubtedly one of the world's finest midfielders, Modric has won 12 major trophies in the Spanish capital, including three Champions Leagues.

DAVID BENTLEY: £15m from Blackburn Rovers (July 2008)

From the sublime to the... well, not quite so sublime. Bentley's move raised eyebrows given his Arsenal roots and, aside from a spectacular goal against his old side, his time at the club did not prove memorable for the right reasons.

Bentley only managed 62 appearances in all competitions for Spurs and spent two of his five years on loan deals with Birmingham City, West Ham, Rostov and former employers Blackburn.

Now 32, Bentley retired from football in 2014 after admitting in a tearful interview that he had lost his passion for the sport.

MOUSA DEMBELE: £15m from Fulham (August 2012)

It seemed a steep price at the time, but Dembele's £15m deal will go down as one of Spurs' shrewdest pieces of business in recent years.

The Belgium international was a key part of the team under Villas-Boas and Sherwood, but truly blossomed when Pochettino took charge, becoming one of the most consistent midfielders in the top flight.

Pochettino described Dembele as a "genius" in the mould of Diego Maradona this year and, at the age of 30, he has plenty of time to further cement his status as a real fan favourite.