Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur fans have often voiced their displeasure over the lack of money spent by the hierarchy, which has no doubt restricted them in the Premier League.
However, when money has been splashed on new additions, it has not always been spent in the best way, as seen by their first-team dealings in the summer of 2013.
Gareth Bale’s £85m move to Real Madrid generated huge funds to splash on potential replacements, which led to the arrivals of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela.
Both cost a reported £60m combined, but neither managed to fill the void left by the Welshman, with the club growing frustrated by the lack of quality additions made in the market.
Such a feeling has become evident once again in recent years, with one member of Thomas Frank’s squad struggling to match the expectations of the supporters.
The stats behind Rodrigo Bentancur’s decline in 2025/26
Back in January 2022, Spurs paid a reported £22m for the signature of midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Italian side Juventus – a deal that was seen as a potential bargain at the time.
The Uruguayan managed to rack up a total of 113 first-team appearances before the start of the 205/26 campaign, but his 18 outings this season have been littered with errors.
He’s so far struggled to meet the demands of the Dane’s various systems in North London, but he’s certainly not been aided by the manager’s selection of partnering alongside Joao Palhinha.
Both are predominantly better out of possession than with the ball at their feet, as seen by their combined tally of just one pass into the final third against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
However, even before the North London Derby, Bentancur has struggled for the Lilywhites, with his underlying figures in 2025/26 showcasing his lack of success to date.
He has only created 0.6 chances per 90 this season, which ranks him in the bottom 25% of all players in the division – backing up his lack of quality in possession.
Without the ball, he’s been just as ineffective, as Bentancur has also struggled under Frank, only making 0.5 interceptions per 90, which also places him in the lower quarter of all midfielders in England’s top-flight.
The midfielder has also been dribbled past more than 75% of other players in the league, further highlighting his all-round failures in the Premier League this campaign.
The Spurs star who’s become worse than Bentancur
The midfield department at Spurs has been one that has been questioned over recent months, especially given Frank’s continuation of utilising Bentancur and Palhinha together at the base of the side.
The club is home to a plethora of young talents who have previously showcased their talents, but ultimately, they’ve been unable to do so on a consistent basis since the Dane’s arrival.
Lucas Bergvall, Pape Sarr and Archie Gray all started the opening day victory over Burnley in North London, with the trio at one stage looking like the players to take the side forward.
However, it’s the only time they have all operated alongside one another in 2025/26 – a decision that has no doubt taken many of the supporters by surprise.
All of the aforementioned stars racked up over 40 appearances across all competitions under Ange Postecoglou last season, but it remains to be seen if they will reach such numbers under Frank.
New additions have also struggled to make their mark in North London, with attacking midfielder Xavi Simons yet to set the world alight after his £52m switch from RB Leipzig this summer.
The Dutchman arrived with huge expectations, no doubt aided by the transfer fee, but it’s safe to say his move to the Lilywhites has been nothing short of a disaster to date.
He’s featured in nine Premier League matches to date, failing to register his first goal for the club and only providing one assist for his teammates – with such an effort coming on his debut.
One of his darkest moments no doubt came against Chelsea at the start of the month, with the 22-year-old coming off the bench to replace Bergvall, but was later substituted himself amid his lack of impact.
To top off his recent struggles, former transfer target Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick against the Lilywhites on Sunday, whilst Simons was brought off the bench at the break and only registered 36 touches in total.
His underlying figures from the whole campaign showcase his recent struggles, with the youngster so far being a massive waste of the hierarchy’s money.
xG
0.06
Bottom 12%
Shots taken
0.9
Bottom 21%
Goals
0
Bottom 3%
Chances created
0.9
Bottom 12%
Cross accuracy
16%
Bottom 22%
Assists
1
Bottom 40%
Touches in opposition box
1.5
Bottom 15%
Simons, who’s been “miles off it” according to Jamie O’Hara, has achieved an xG of just 0.06 in the Premier League – a tally that ranks him within the bottom 12% of all players in the division.
He’s also created just 0.9 chances per 90 and registered just 1.7 touches in the opposition box per 90, with both tallies ranking him in the bottom 15% of attackers in the league.
Other figures, such as 0.9 shots taken and a 16% cross accuracy, further indicate his struggles, with many fans undoubtedly wishing a deal was completed for Eze instead.
There’s little denying that at his tender age, he has bags of time to resurrect his career in North London, but it’s safe to say he already has a huge number of supporters on his back.
At present, his £52m transfer fee looks to be a massive waste, with such a deal having the potential to go down as one of the club’s worst-ever signings.
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Tottenham Hotspur have massively struggled within the attacking third under Thomas Frank as of late.
ByEthan Lamb
