Tottenham’s ‘Magnificent 7’ signed with Gareth Bale money - Where are they now? | OneFootball

Replacing Gareth Bale with a player of similar quality was always going to be impossible for Tottenham back in 2013.

The Welshman hit world-class levels during his final couple of years with Spurs and it was no surprise when Real Madrid signed him for £85.3 million.

Anticipating a record sale, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Franco Baldini splashed the cash on seven players they believed had the potential to take the club to the next level in the aftermath Bale’s departure.

“Spurs have sold Elvis and bought the Beatles,” former Tottenham striker Garth Crooks declared back in August 2013.

Fast-forward eight years and the ‘Magnificent Seven’ have now all left Spurs - but what happened to them? Let’s take a closer look…

Paulinho

Signed for: £17 millionClub signed from: Corinthians

Compared to Frank Lampard thanks to his ability to score goals from midfield, the much-hyped Paulinho was a bitter disappointment at Tottenham.

The Brazilian midfielder played 67 games for Spurs, scoring 10 goals, before moving to Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015.

Paulinho surprisingly ended up at Barcelona for the 2017-18 campaign and won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey before moving back to Guangzhou.

After being released from his lucrative contract in June 2021, the South American joined Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.

Christian Eriksen

Signed for: £11 millionClub signed from: Ajax

The most successful signing of the ‘Magnificent Seven’, Christian Eriksen spent six-and-a-half seasons at Tottenham, scoring 69 goals in 305 appearances.

The Danish midfielder was named Spurs’ Player of the Year in 2013-14 and 2016-17. He also made the Premier League’s PFA Team of the Year in 2017-18.

Eriksen joined Inter Milan in January 2020 and helped his current employers win the Serie A title in his second season in Italy.

However, the 29-year-old’s future in football is in serious doubt after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020.

Roberto Soldado

Signed for: £26 millionClub signed from: Valencia

One of the most prolific and revered goalscorers in La Liga, the signing of Valencia’s Roberto Soldado felt like a major coup for Tottenham at the time.

However, the Spaniard struggled to hit a barn door in the Premier League. Seven goals in 52 appearances in England’s top flight was a dismal return for a striker of his calibre.

It wasn’t long before Soldado returned to Spain, signing for Villarreal in the summer of 2015.

The former Spain international, 36, then had spells with Fenerbahce and Granada before signing for Levante this summer.

Nacer Chadli

Nacer Chadli’s Premier League spell was largely forgettable; in fact, you’d do well to remember anything the winger did during his five seasons (three with Tottenham and two with West Brom) in England.

The Belgium international moved to Monaco in 2018, had a season on loan at Anderlecht the following year, and now plies his trade with Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey.

Etienne Capoue

Signed for: £9.3 millionClub signed from: Toulouse

Another average top-flight player, Etienne Capoue showed flashes of quality but never really convinced at Spurs, hence why he only managed to make 24 Premier League appearances for the club.

He went on to play a further 167 Premier League games with Watford, who signed the former France international for £6.3 million in July 2015, before joining Villarreal in January 2021.

Capoue produced a Man of the Match performance for the Yellow Submarine in the 2021 Europa League final against Manchester United.

Vlad Chiriches

Signed for: £8.5 millionClub signed from: Steaua Bucharest

Few Tottenham fans had even heard of Vlad Chiriches when he was signed from Steaua Bucharest in August 2013.

The Romanian defender played 43 times for Spurs over the course of two season before being offloaded to Napoli in a deal worth £4.5 million.

The 31-year-old currently plays for Sassuolo in the Italian top tier.

Erik Lamela

Signed for: £25.8 millionClub signed from: AS Roma

The last of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ to leave Tottenham, Erik Lamela was arguably the second most successful purchase behind Eriksen.

The Argentine winger scored 37 goals in 255 games for Spurs, including two ridiculous rabona goals that Spurs fans will always remember fondly.

Lamela was used as part of the deal to bring Sevilla’s talented winger Bryan Gil, 20, to north London this summer.

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