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Is Sanchez another Sissoko? Tottenham record signings haven't always fared well

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.

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.

 

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

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.

 

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.

 

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 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.

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.

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)

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).

 

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.

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.

 

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.

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.