Tottenham have broken their transfer record twice this summer with Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes

Tottenham have shattered their transfer record on two separate occasions already this summer as they aim to recover from a thoroughly miserable 2025/26 campaign. The Spurs midfield has been completely overhauled with the arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for a combined outlay of £185million.

Roberto De Zerbi had already broken the club's transfer record with Fernandes' £85m signing last week, before splashing an initial £92.5m plus £7.5m in add-ons to secure the Newcastle midfielder.

Yet the spending may not stop there, with further significant deals reportedly on the go. Spurs have also made clever use of the free agent market, wrapping up agreements for Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka following the expiry of their respective contracts at their former clubs.

De Zerbi could persist with this strategy of bold spending and savvy saving, combining high-profile acquisitions with opportunistic free agent deals to keep the books balanced. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at three previous free agent signings and assesses how they fared for the Lilywhites.

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Teddy Sheringham

Teddy Sheringham wasn't a free transfer to Spurs to begin with; he initially signed from Nottingham Forest for approximately £2.1m in 1992. He firmly established himself in the Premier League during his spell in north London, developing into a prolific frontman - yet his failure to win silverware prompted a £3.5m switch to Manchester United in 1997.

There, Sheringham would seal the coveted Treble by capturing the Premier League, FA Cup and securing the Champions League in dramatic circumstances against Bayern Munich. The England international scored one and provided another as United overcame the German outfit in the final moments.

He maintained outstanding form at Old Trafford, collecting further silverware before returning to north London on a free transfer by 2001. Across his Spurs career, Sheringham registered 277 appearances and scored 125 goals, while also providing 53 assists.

Records demonstrate that the former frontman spent the bulk of his career with Tottenham and was welcomed into the club's Hall of Fame alongside Clive Allen in 2008 - the same year he retired from professional football.

William Gallas

William Gallas represents an intriguing case in Premier League history, having featured for three of London's most prominent clubs consecutively. He began his career in England at Chelsea, joining for £6.2m in 2001 before transferring to Arsenal by 2006.

Gallas would subsequently become the Gunners skipper for a spell before friction saw him succeeded by Cesc Fabregas as the player wearing the armband. His deal with Arsenal ran its course in 2010, and he would make the brief journey to join Spurs on a free transfer.

The defender racked up 78 appearances for the Lilywhites, netting once and completing the remainder of his Premier League career. Gallas departed Spurs in 2013 and became the first Frenchman to feature in the Australian league after joining Perth Glory in October.

He hung up his boots that same year, aged 37, having claimed two Premier League titles and two domestic cups - all secured with the Blues.

Edgar Davids

Edgar Davids enjoyed a brief but memorable spell in the Premier League with Tottenham, spending two campaigns in north London. The Dutch midfielder had already established his 'world-class' credentials during his time at Juventus, where he made his mark for both club and country.

Between 1997 and 2004, Davids secured three Serie A titles, numerous domestic cups and represented the Netherlands as they finished fourth at the World Cup and third in two European Championships. He clocked up 235 appearances for Juve and made 32 goal contributions.

He enjoyed spells at Barcelona and Inter Milan before arriving at Spurs on a free transfer in 2005. He managed just three goal contributions across 44 appearances for the club, but still retains a fondness for the Lilywhites.

Ahead of a friendly match between two of his former sides - Juve and Spurs - back in 2017, Davids said: "It's no coincidence that everything is coming together and you've had the last couple of unbelievable seasons in the Premier League. It's not a one-off. Spurs are at that level and that's why I'm so proud of the club. Spurs have created that culture.

"I like this team a lot. When I see this team play I see fun, I see youth, enthusiasm, football on the edge, fun football. They have fun and they are big, big talents. How can you not love this team?"