Danny Murphy says Tottenham have two ‘middle-tier players’ who Daniel Levy seriously overpaid to sign

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Tottenham Hotspur haven’t had a great season at all in the Premier League.

Spurs have lost way more games than they have won this season and are currently in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

There’s a very high chance that the 2024/25 season could see Tottenham finish outside the top 10 for the first time in 17 years.

Ange Postecoglou will have to accept a lot of the blame, but some of his players are not good enough to win things, claims Danny Murphy.

Danny Murphy gives brutal Richarlison and Brennan Johnson verdict at Tottenham

Tottenham have quite a few top-quality players in their side.

Son Heung-min is a wonderful player despite his form this season, as are the likes of James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dejan Kulusevski.

Dominic Solanke has also done a great job following his big-money signing from Bournemouth back in the summer transfer window.

However, Spurs need to add many more elite players if they want to have any chance of competing for the big trophies.

Murphy, who knows Tottenham very well having played for them, feels Spurs tend to pay big money on ‘middle-tier players’ like Brennan Johnson and Richarlison, who are never going to help them win the Premier League.

He wrote in the Daily Mail: “Levy isn’t ambitious is a claim I’ve heard made about him, but hiring Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte showed how much he wants to grace Tottenham’s fantastic stadium with trophies.

“I’d argue instead that his ambition has been misplaced.

“Instead of pushing the boat out for a couple of established stars, he’s paid too much on middle-tier players. Brennan Johnson and Richarlison are two examples — neither were cheap, but neither will turn your team into title contenders.”

Brennan Johnson and Richarlison’s stats compared at Tottenham

Tottenham paid £47.5 million to sign Johnson from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023, while Daniel Levy agreed to a £60 million deal to land Richarlison from Everton a year earlier.

Over £100 million on two attacking players should guarantee success, especially when they were signed to play with a world-class player like Son.

But, Johnson and Richarlison’s stats don’t quite justify their price tag.

A combined 35 goals from 144 games by two players is simply not good enough when you consider the fact that they cost over £100 million.

Murphy may have a point – Tottenham are spending way too much money on players who are not delivering enough on the pitch.

Levy must take a long, hard look at his side’s recruitment and change things. If he doesn’t, Spurs will continue to struggle.

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