These eight left the Premier League in the summer transfer window and are already thriving at their new club. Three ex-Tottenham players feature.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – Tottenham to Marseille
Hojbjerg didn’t have the best of times at Tottenham but is now thriving under Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille, starting three out of three in Ligue 1 this term.
The Danish defensive midfielder has only misplaced 14 of his 331 attempted passes in three French league fixtures, completing an astounding 136 of 138 on his competitive debut. While a lot of those passes were short distance and not in the final third, it illustrates the trust De Zerbi holds in Hojbjerg and his ability to dictate games.
It’s a far cry from the Spurs version of Hojbjerg known for doing the dirty work out of possession (sometimes a little too dirty). In three Ligue 1 appearances, Hojbjerg has made eight tackles, blocked six passes, made three clearances, and seven interceptions. Being where you are appreciated can work wonders.
Pascal Gross – Brighton to Borussia Dortmund
A player who was absolutely appreciated at his former club is Pascal Gross, who was allowed to return to Germany despite his importance for Brighton. We all know Gross is a fantastic player but moving to the Champions League finalists from Brighton and walking straight into their starting XI really does emphasise it.
The Germany midfielder already has three assists for his new team and has misplaced just 18 of his 214 passes in the Bundesliga which – looking at Hojbjerg’s statistics – feels rather pathetic.
To transition into the Dortmund set-up so seamlessly is a credit to Gross and his incredible development over the last five years. He really is aging like a fine wine.
Tanguy Ndombele – Tottenham to Nice
Now then, what do we have here? We have always known about Ndombele’s talent; it was always the work ethic in massive question. It absolutely did not work out at Spurs, having joined as their record signing, which was only recently broken by Dominic Solanke’s £55million move from Bournemouth.
Nice have won, drawn and lost in their opening three Ligue 1 fixtures and Ndombele has started in every match, playing 251 of a possible 270 minutes for his new club. He has started very well, assisting on his debut but surprisingly contributing with 11 tackles, two interceptions, and three successful take-ons.
This renaissance is welcome because Ndombele is a bit of a baller, and when ballers play well, everybody wins.
Michael Olise – Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich
Leaving Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich was always going to open all kinds of doors for Olise and since making the move, he has shone at the Olympics under Thierry Henry, made his full France debut, and assisted a goal for one of the biggest clubs in world football, which came during a 14-minute cameo off the bench on his debut.
Olise deserves to be where he is after an excellent time at Selhurst Park and has started both of Bayern’s opening Bundesliga fixtures, which they have won. No goal yet for Olise this season but he is loving life in Munich and should be a regular in the France squad moving forward.
Bryan Gil – Tottenham to Girona
Another player who failed to shine at Tottenham is doing well elsewhere. It really does make you think.
Gil has earned a move to a Champions League outfit – much to our surprise – in Girona and has started all four La Liga games for them. He has one goal to show for his stellar performances but he has been heavily involved following the exit of Artem Dovbyk. He is also willing to contribute defensively, completing an impressive 12 tackles.
Thiago Silva – Chelsea to Fluminense
Age is just a number for Thiago Silva, who is running the show at Fluminense after leaving the Chelsea circus as a free agent.
Back in Brazil, Silva helped himself to four clean sheets in his first four matches and is again on a solid defensive run, with two more clean sheets coming in his side’s last two fixtures. It has been light work for Silva at Fluminense, proving that he is still a world-class defender.
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Sergio Gomez – Manchester City to Real Sociedad
The Olympics was Gomez’s top priority after securing a transfer to Real Sociedad and his start to life in La Liga has not been too bad after winning gold in Paris.
He didn’t start on matchday one but got 23 minutes on the right wing and has started every match since, being used on the right and left flanks as his new manager, Imanol Alguacil, looks to deploy him as a more attacking threat than Pep Guardiola ever did.
Gomez has one assist to his name this term but has been a real asset going forward and looks to be enjoying playing some football for a change.
Mika Biereth – Arsenal to Sturm Graz
Biereth proved himself to be a great goalscorer during loan spells at Motherwell (aye, she’s fine thanks) and Sturm Graz. He helped the latter become Austrian champions and was signed permanently due to a blocked pathway into the Arsenal starting XI.
His fine form last term has carried into 2024/25, helping himself to three goals and an assist in five Austrian Bundesliga matches.
Biereth will get a taste of the Champions League with Sturm Graz, who were given a bloody delightful draw, by the way. They will play Brest, Club Brugge, Sporting, Borussia Dortmund, Girona, Lille, Atalanta and RB Leipzig. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Not that it will be easy, mind.