Fazio joins list of Spurs transfer missteps

Federico Fazio has become the latest post-Gareth Bale Spurs recruit to be offloaded after agreeing to a loan move to Roma for the season.

The Argentine defender arrived the year after Bale’s Real Madrid move for a hefty £8m but struggled to live up to the price tag, making 20 league appearances for Spurs over two seasons.

“I am very happy to join a great team like Roma,” the 29-year-old Fazio said. “I really want to start training and get to know my new team-mates and coach.”

Spurs will be hoping for a bounce-back year by the centre-back as they try to recoup some of the £8m outlay, but whatever happens he won’t be the costliest misstep in the 12 months after Bale’s departure.

(Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Among those Roberto Soldado stands out as the most egregious overspend, costing £26m from Valencia, only to return to Spain, and Villarreal, two years and seven league goals later for a mere £10m.

Tottenham recouped virtually the same amount, £9.9m, for Paulinho, who also survived just two seasons after a £17m switch.

The star Brazil midfielder never adapted to the Premier League, and left for China after two underwhelming years at the Lane.

Benjamin Stambouli didn’t even last that long, playing a single season for Spurs, although unlike his big-money teammates, the French midfielder earned Spurs a profit.

Signed for £4.5m, Daniel Levy spotted the chance to make some cash by offloading him to PSG after just a year for £6m.

(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

And what of fellow Frenchman Etienne Capoue? After two injury-hit seasons he was sold to Watford at a loss of £3.3m.

Only time will tell whether this summer’s acquisitions Victor Wanyama or Vincent Janssen will follow in their footsteps.