Tottenham Hotspur have endured plenty of transfer missteps in recent years, as their desperation for a trophy has revealed itself in many failed big-money moves.
As Mauricio Pochettino was building his squad, which seemed to improve with each passing season, it seemed even the measured Argentine succumbed to this pressure in the form of a few questionable deals during the end of his reign.
Has Sanchez been a bad signing?
Yes
No
One such example was the decision to acquire Davinson Sanchez, who admittedly had enjoyed a fine last season at Ajax before moving to north London.
However, it was not a campaign that perhaps warranted his £42m fee, which shattered the club record at the time.
His 7.25 average rating in that concluding campaign in Amsterdam was underpinned by an 89% pass accuracy as he recorded 1.9 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and an impressive 5.2 clearances per 90 (via Sofascore). All signs pointed towards the Colombian being a stellar modern-day defender for the Lilywhites, but his career has not quite panned out as planned.
How much has Davinson Sanchez cost Spurs?
Whilst the astronomical initial price tag might have drawn initial scrutiny, the additional finances he has swallowed only serve to exacerbate just how poor a signing he has been.
Earning £65k-per-week for 289 weeks now, from wages alone the 26-year-old has also incurred £18.8m. Therefore, in total Sanchez has cost Daniel Levy £60.8m.
His 6.8 average rating for this league campaign is far from meriting such a price tag, and these impressive aforementioned statistics have made a harsh drop off to just 0.8 interceptions, 1.2 tackles and just 1.9 clearances per game, per Sofascore.
Sanchez was handed an opportunity to perhaps prove himself a capable starter in their midweek FA Cup clash, yet they were knocked out by Championship outfit Sheffield United. Cristian Stellini’s second-string side crumbled under the pressure of the high-flying Blades, with the 6 foot 2 dud partly to blame for their winner too.
TalkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy was full of contempt for the defender following the display, in which he claimed: “For the goal it’s like he’s moving in quicksand. He’s not interested. He’s terrible.”
His fall from grace has been dramatic, and a man who could have spearheaded Spurs to numerous trophies has instead been a drain on their resources for nearly six years now.