True to form, the Tottenham hierarchy provided another deadline day of emotional pinball for their loyal fans. The curious sales of the likes of Nacer Chadli and Ryan Mason meant Tottenham entered Deadline Day in need of reinforcements.

After a links to the likes of Isco, Max Meyer and Morgan Schneiderlin came and went, eventually it became a scramble to seal the deals of long term targets George Kevin N’Koudou and Pau Lopes, while the day’s major drama surrounded Newcastle United powerhouse Moussa Sissoko, who seemed destined for Everton, only for Tottenham to hijack the move at the 11th hour. So, as we try to make sense of yesterday’s happenings, and evaluate where Tottenham now stand, I feel the best way to do this, is to look at it from three key points of view

Daniel Levy

Mauricio Pochettino

Moussa Sissoko

Let’s begin with the man who seems to orchestrate days like this…

Daniel Levy

I’ve spoken before of my admiration for how well Tottenham Hotspur is run as a club. Aside from the current crop of players being among the finest Spurs groups in years, Tottenham now boast a state-of-the-art training centre, one of the game’s brightest managerial prospects, a promising youth set-up and a new world class stadium is currently under construction.

The strings are seemingly pulled by Chairman Daniel Levy, the financial guru, who seems to make all of the above tick. Yet, in complete contrast to all of the above, Tottenham’s transfer strategy can often seem haphazard by comparison. Despite Levy’s reputation as a negotiation expert, Tottenham Hotspur have become synonymous with ridiculous transfer deadline days, and yesterday proved to be no different.

Leaving so much essential transfer business to the last minute suggests poor planning, and results in Spurs being held over a barrel at the negotiation table

In so many years gone by, Tottenham have seen numerous Transfer Tragedies occur, where deals for key players such as Joao Moutinho seemed to be all but complete, only to fall through right at the end. In the last year of Harry Redknapp’s reign where Spurs were still in the title hunt at Christmas, January moves for Carlos Tevez and Gary Cahill were rumoured to be in the pipeline to push Spurs onto the next level, only for the over-the-hill duo of Louis Saha and Ryan Nelson to appear on deadline day.

Last year, as Harry Kane struggled under the weight of Tottenham’s entire attack, a move for Saido Berahino eventually went up in smoke on deadline day Levy’s hard-ball tactics failed to sway the West Brom hierarchy.

This year threatened to re-tell the same story, as Tottenham seemed in dire need of squad depth having sold or loaned seven first team players. Moves for backup GK Pau Lopes and young prospect George Kevin N’Koudou eventually materialised after weeks of negotiation, but it was only at the last minute that Levy eventually caved in, and opened the wallet so Tottenham could bring in Moussa Sissoko for a club record £30 million.

Many fans were appalled by the figure, but the reality is, this is the new going rate. The same market the values Ryan Mason at £13million and the relatively untested Alex Pritchard at £8million, also values a fully-fledged France international (on the back of a successful Euros) at £30million. On the negative side, the move does reek of desperation.

Leaving so much essential transfer business to the last minute suggests poor planning, and results in Spurs being held over a barrel at the negotiation table. This is a business model that Tottenham should look to move away from.

From the positive perspective however, it’s alleged that the move was eventually pushed through after an insistence from Mauricio Pochettino that this was a player he wanted. The fact the Daniel Levy put these demands ahead of his own financial acumen bodes very well for the club – we finally seem to have a Chairman and Coach who share the same ambitious vision for the club! Speaking of our Coach…

Mauricio Pochettino

As the sky seemed to be falling down around Tottenham fans on twitter yesterday as they frantically refreshed their timelines looking for a sliver of information regarding Isco or Moussa Sissoko, Mauricio Pochettino was happily kicking back on a beach in Spain with his partner – It’s not a bad life, this Premier League management role!

Many slated Pochettino for abandoning ship at such a crucial junction, but I actually took some relief from it. For our coach to be holidaying in Spain on Football’s most panic-stricken day, suggested to me a man with confidence – this man trusted Daniel Levy and co. to succeed in the boardroom while he was away, and more importantly, Pochettino trusts himself to successfully coach the Tottenham group presented to him… as he has done so far.

For our coach to be holidaying in Spain on Football’s most panic-stricken day, suggested to me a man with confidence – this man trusted Daniel Levy

As it transpired, Pochettino apparently was called on, and was required to give the go-ahead for the late move for Sissoko. It’s unclear or not whether the likes of Chadli and Mason were sold because they weren’t part of Pochettino’s plans, or because the offered price was too good to turn down, but it was certain that Tottenham needed a squad boost on the window’s final day.

Having spoken earlier this week about wanting to add a new dimension to Spurs play, with special reference to pacey Liverpool signing Sadio Mané, the move for Sissoko was logical, if overpriced, and Pochettino will most likely be excited about incorporating the powerful Frenchman into his side. However, despite my confidence, I want to highlight a possible dark timeline that Tottenham have hopefully avoided…

If Tottenham finished yesterday’s transfer window with 7 first teamers out, just Janssen and Wanyama in, and a healthy net profit, then Spurs would be facing an extremely difficult year ahead. The squad would have been stretched thin by European and domestic demands, and players would quite possibly have been wondering why Tottenham didn’t show some ambition by investing in the transfer window before their Champions League season?

Tottenham would then face an extremely difficult task the following summer convincing Pochettino and other prized assets that Tottenham was the ambitious club we all currently think it is!

Thankfully, reinforcements did arrive, even if it was a little later than we’d like. Pochettino can now say with confidence that he is overseeing a better Tottenham squad than what he had in the season right before. Wanyama provides an upgrade on Mason in the centre midfield position, while George Kevin N’Koudou offers a much needed explosive option out wide. Vincent Janssen fills a much needed vacancy in the striker depth chart. But what about the man of the hour? Well…

Moussa Sissoko

If you’d told a Spurs fan back in 2012, that four years later Spurs will buy Moussa Sissoko from a relegated Newcastle side for the same price as Luka Modric was just sold for, they’d have escorted you towards the nearest medical professional to have your head examined.

Yet this is the transfer market in 2016.

Paul Pogba cost £90million. John Stones cost £47.5mil. Hulk cost £46.5million. Christian Benteke cost £27million. Dwight Gale cost £10million.

It all started when Andy Carroll cost £35million.

The transfer market is gone mad, and to worry about it is a fool’s game – There is nothing we can do about it. Shortly after the eye-watering transfer of Paul Pogba to Man United (who left Old Trafford for nothing four years previously) I wrote an article about the crazy world of Football Finance and had my article been a book, yesterday’s deadline day would have made a great second chapter.

Wednesday for the first time ever, but almost certainly not the last, over £1 billion was spent in football transfer fees over the course of the Summer Window. It’s a mind-blowing figure, but put’s Spurs pursuit of Moussa Sissoko into some perspective – Tottenham aren’t crazy, they are just a product of the world they live in!

Let’s judge Moussa Sissoko as a player, and what he’ll bring to White Hart Lane

My point is, as difficult as it may be, we should not get hung up on the numbers. Instead, let’s judge Moussa Sissoko as a player, and what he’ll bring to White Hart Lane.

Straight off the bat, Pochettino allegedly pushed home the deal for Sissoko, and it’s easy to see why. Pochettino favours a high intensity, energetic, pressing style of play. With Sissoko, Tottenham now boast one of the league’s most dominant athletes. Sissoko is a physically dominant player with an indefatigable engine and of course, bundles of pace.

Every Tottenham fan has noticed how blunt the team has looked in the opening weeks of the season, where Eriksen and Kane have been stifled, and scoring chances have been few and far between. A direct, pacey player like Sissoko offers Spurs an option to break through opposition lines and create new channels for attack. Defending against players of Sissoko’s abilities means opposition defences must lie further back in their own half, creating more space for the likes of Lamela and Eriksen to manufacture chances. Sissoko presents Tottenham with numerous possibilities.

Many point to Sissoko’s inconsistent displays at Newcastle as a black mark on his ledger, and while this is true, I think this underestimates the importance that Tottenham could have on him. With all due respect to Newcastle, we’ve seen countless promising players underperform on Tyneside in recent years (For example, Hatem Ben Arfa, who is after sealing a move to PSG following a promising year after leaving Newcastle).

Sissoko showed a glimpse of his obvious ability during Euro 2016 when he excelled with better teammates for France and I believe that in Tottenham, a healthy combination of quality teammates, an intelligent manager and supportive fans will bring the best out of Tottenham’s record signing.