Two years ago, Tottenham were being linked with a move for Manchester United’s Phil Jones.
It may be a transfer story that makes you laugh these days, but back then, it was a serious link, and while fans weren’t keen on the potential signing, Spurs were looking at the possibility.
Fortunately for Spurs fans across the country, Tottenham didn’t bring Jones in back in November 2018, but the fact that this transfer link looks so ridiculous these days shows just how far the club has come in terms of transfers.
Ok, you could argue that Spurs have regressed since 2018, they finished sixth last term after a third-placed finish in 2017/18, but in terms of their power in the transfer market they have evolved into a much greater power.
Let’s not forget that in November 2018, Spurs were in the middle of a year-long wait for a new signing, and any deals they were getting done around that time were for outcasts or young prospects.
The likes of Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth were the headline arrivals during that period, alongside PSG flops Lucas Moura and Serge Aurier.
That’s why Jones looked like such a realistic signing at the time, he was a cast-off from a top team available for cheap, but now that isn’t the market that Spurs operate in.
The move to the new stadium seems to have brought a lot more ambition in the transfer market for Spurs, they spent over £133 million in the summer of 2019, while this summer just gone they spent almost £100 million and brought in players like Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon, two bona fide stars.
Whether or not Spurs are better on the pitch now than in 2018 is up for debate, but the links to Jones two years ago show just how far the club has come in terms of who they’re targeting and the calibre of player they’re able to bring in.
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