Tottenham's Early Transfer Moves Suggest Daniel Levy May Be Trying A New Approach
Tottenham Hotspur under chairman Daniel Levy have historically tended to leave their transfer business until the minute.
Since signing Victor Wanyama in June 2016, 16 of Tottenham's 18 first-team summer signings have arrived later than August 8.
Doing deals so late in the window - which typically opens in June - allows Levy more time to negotiate - something he is unquestionably good at.
But it also means that the players who arrive miss out on the opportunity to have a pre-season with the new teammates and manager.
Things appear to be getting done differently at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer though.
It is not even the end of May and Spurs already have two deals as good as done.
Former England goalkeeper Fraser Forster, 34, will arrive on a free transfer from Southampton to provide competition for Hugo Lloris.
Meanwhile, Ivan Perisic - who won the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2020 - is also set to arrive on a free transfer.
Perisic was in London on Monday to undergo a medical ahead of a move from Inter Milan.
Forster and Perisic are unlikely to be Tottenham's last signings this summer.
Tottenham's owners committed to inject £150 million into the club earlier this month.
Chairman Levy said in a Tottenham statement: "The delivery of a world-class home was always a key building block in driving diversified revenues to enable us to invest in the teams and support our ambitions to be consistently competing at the highest levels of European football.
"Additional capital from ENIC will now enable further investment in the Club at an important time."