Spurs have surprisingly been the big movers in this summer’s market, smashing their transfer record to bring in Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined value just shy of £200M.

This uncharacteristically decisive action appears driven by the shock of last season’s close call with relegation, and as a reward for manager Roberto De Zerbi for saving the club from dropping into the second tier.

But why have they broken the bank to bring in two central midfield options, especially given the number of midfield players already at the club?

Let’s look at some radar charts from last season for Spurs players who played in a deeper, central midfield / pivot role.

Palhinha

As you would expect, Palhinha was very strong defensively – his tackling, duels and aerial battles are all very impressive. He was also good at carrying the ball, and provided a surprising amount of goal threat, which makes sense given his vital goal contributions in last season’s run in. However it’s fair to say that passing and creativity are not his strengths.

Bentancur

Bentancur showed similar ball winning abilities but without the aerial dominance or goal threat. Carrying was a positive for him too, and he also impressed with his press resistance – dribbling opponents and rarely losing possession. However, he also lacked in creative passing and contribution to build up play.

Bissouma

Bissouma didn’t get that many minutes, but when he did play he showed similar battling qualities to Palhinha, but with more care in possession. His passing was accurate, but these were mainly simple passes. He didn’t create much or even move the ball forward.

The Rest

Sarr, Gallagher, Gray and Bergvall aren’t really suited to the deep lying pivot role. Gallagher and Bergvall have very similar profiles – massively strong at carrying / dribbling and also at pressing. Sarr is relatively rounded but his talents lie further up the pitch – his pressing and goal threat stand out. Gray has played in so many roles it’s hard to analyse him.

The Missing Profile

So it’s pretty clear where Spurs were lacking last year – creative passing and build up play from deep areas. Part of that was dictated by the negative playing style of Thomas Frank, but it’s clearly also a skillset lacking in the squad.

An example of the kind of player who fits this profile perfectly is Rodri, the standout in recent Premier league history.

Rodri

And here’s new Manchester City recruit Elliot Anderson.

Anderson

They both still have ball winning attributes, but they also participate in build up play and move the ball forward through their passing. They are actually very similar, except that Rodri is more careful in possession while Anderson is more of a threat through his dribbling. Given the fact he played for a relegation threatened team who went through multiple managers with differing styles, Anderson’s performances are really impressive.

Spurs Signings

So how do Tottenham’s new signings stack up?

Fernandes

Mateus Fernandes is a massive improvement on our current options. He is more of an all rounder, marrying defensive strengths, with dribbling and the all important passing ability and creativity. His numbers are not as high as Rodri or Anderson, but he’s young and he spent the season playing for West Ham, under Nuno Espirito Santo for a large part of it, which can’t have been easy.

Tonali

At first glance Tonali seems a bit disappointing on the defensive side of the ball. But looking closer he’s more positionally smart, picking up interceptions and ball recoveries, rather than the blood and thunder tackling of Palhinha. He’s also relatively press resistant with strong showings in carrying and dribbling, married with ball security. His attacking threat both from carrying and passing looks pretty good too. Maybe not exactly £100 million worth, but he’s still a big upgrade.

Summary

Of course the statistics never show the full picture, but it looks like we have bought two players that materially improve our squad in one of its weakest areas. Arguably we have paid a lot and not got the absolute best, but given our low starting point after a brush with relegation, I think we have made some intelligent moves. It will be exciting to see how both players perform once the season gets under way.

What do you think of Spurs midfield signings? Are they an upgrade or a waste of money?