Tottenham top ´Big Four´ in transfer market

Tottenham Hotspur’s latest financial results published Tuesday showed the club had spent nearly 150 million pounds (251 million dollars) on transfers in the last 16 months, surpassing the English Premier League’s ‘Big Four’.

Spurs’s spending topped that of English champions Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in the same period and was only bettered by cash-rich Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Yet Tottenham were still able to announce record pre-tax profits for the year ending June 2009, helped by the sale of Dimitar Berbatov to United and Robbie Keane to Liverpool.

Spurs spent 119.3 million pounds in the financial year, with nearly 30 million pounds invested since on bringing several other players, including former Portsmouth duo Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar, to White Hart Lane.

Tottenham are currently fourth in the table, a position that will qualify them for next term’s lucrative Champions League if they are still there at the end of this season.

And Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who recently outlined plans for a new gropund and training complex, said: “We have made significant progress in delivering on our long-term vision for the club.

“We have always had three key priorities and you will have heard them oft repeated – investment in the first team, a new training centre and an increased capacity, state-of-the-art new stadium.

“We have assembled what we believe to be one of the most talented squads we have had during our time in the Premier League, the ground is being turned and pitches laid for the new training centre at Bulls Cross in Enfield and we have submitted a planning application for a stunning new stadium on a site next to our existing stadium.”

Spurs’ pre-tax profits was 33.4 million pounds with the north London club’s total assests valued at “almost 300 million pounds” – a figure set to rise if they do qualify for the Champions League.

Croatia midfielder Kranjcar said a top four finish was a realistic target for Tottenham.

“This year our goal is getting into the Champions League,” he insisted. “It’s a massive goal but we think it can be achieved.

“We believe we have the depth and quality, and hopefully we will do it.”