Tottenham’s best-ever deadline day signings: Robbie Keane and £47m hero
Tottenham have struck some absolute bargains on deadline day over the years.
It is that time of year again when Premier League clubs frantically attempt to wrap up transfers which should have been done weeks in advance.
Tottenham are not excluded from this group. Indeed, Spurs have had their fair share of exceptional deadline day signings in the past, as Tottenham News takes a look down memory lane.
Hugo Lloris
Tottenham signed Hugo Lloris from Lyon for a reported fee of £12million on 31 August 2012.
Lloris became one of greatest captains in Tottenham’s history before leaving the club in December 2023.
- Lloris’ debut for Spurs came in September 2012 against Lazio in the UEFA Europa League
- Tottenham’s best-ever defensive record came when Lloris was at the helm. During the 2016/17 season, the Lilywhites conceded only 36 goals
With almost 450 appearances for the North London club, his final game was a 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United in April 2023. Son Heung-min reunited with Lloris at LAFC in August 2025.
Robbie Keane
Tottenham agreed a £7million fee to sign Robbie Keane from Leeds United on 31 August 2002.
While the Lilywhites finished in a disappointing 10th place that season, Keane was the highlight of the season.
- Keane’s 14 goals helped Spurs avoid relegation during the 2003/04 season
- The forward won Player of Year three times during his Tottenham career, becoming the first player to do so
- Keane was also the first player to score double figures in the Premier League in six consecutive seasons
Despite signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2008, Keane rejoined Tottenham at the end of the winter window on 2 February 2009.
Rafael van der Vaart
Tottenham signed Rafael van der Vaart on 31 August 2010 from Real Madrid, two hours before the window closed.
Spurs supporters underwent an antagonising wait at the time as problems with the computer servers meant that the necessary paperwork was not completed on time. But the Premier League granted the North London club a special dispensation and van der Vaart became a Lilywhite.
- van der Vaart ended his first season as Spurs top goalscorer in the Premier League, scoring 13 goals
- During the 2011/12 season, he equalised Robbie Keane and Teddy Sherinham’s record by scoring in five consecutive Premier League matches
Van de Vaart’s time in North London was short and he returned to his former club, Hamburger SV on 31 August 2012.
Brennan Johnson
Tottenham signed Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m on 1 September 2023.
This fee saw Johnson become one of the Lilywhites most expensive signings at the time.
- Johnson ended the 2024/25 season as Spurs’ top scorer with 18 goals
- His first game was during an away defeat to Wolves in November 2023
While he has been criticised at Tottenham in the past, Johnson’s match-winner won Spurs the UEFA Europa League trophy during the 2024/25 season.
Lucas Moura
Lucas Moura signed for Tottenham on 31 January 2018 from PSG for a transfer fee of around £25m.
Moura is best remebered at Spurs for scoring a second half hat-trick in Spurs 3-2 victory over Ajax in the second left of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
- Moura scored his first goal in his first start in the FA Cup tie against Rochdale on 18 February 2018
- His final goal for Tottenahm came during a 4-1 win over Leeds on 28 May 2023
In August 2023, Moura returned to Sao Paulo after three months without a club.
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