Tottenham Hotspur have not always bought wisely but should be glad to have missed out on Giannelli Imbula.
Stoke’s Gianelli Imbula in action with Manchester City’s Fernando and Yaya Toure
Moussa Sissoko, Clinton N’Jie, Benjamin Stambouli… Tottenham Hotspur do not have the best record when it comes to buying French players.
Georges-Kevin N’Koudou is another potential bust, while Etienne Capoue also failed to live up to his potential at the club.
One player they did get it right on by not moving for appears to be Giannelli Imbula, who The Mirror reported in 2015 was a £12 million target for the Lilywhites.
Imbula went on to leave Marseille for Porto – and it was there the warning signs should have lit up, after failing to make an impression he was sold to Stoke City for £18 million just six months later.
The final straw appears to have been the weekend game against Tottenham, in which Stoke folded embarrassingly and were 4-0 down by half-time.
It was far from a rarity, with Spurs now netting four in their last three games against Stoke, two of which have been away from home.
Imbula has not lived up to the billing, and Stoke face a tough test recouping their money for the once highly regarded midfielder.
Tottenham have a similar problem to deal with regarding Moussa Sissoko, but should at least be glad they do not have double the trouble.
Tottenham’s Son Heung-min in action with Stoke City’s Giannelli Imbula
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
