Tottenham add to an already strong midfield with signing of Victor Wanyama

Tottenham Hotspur have added to their already fearsome midfield by signing Victor Wanyama from Southampton. The club confirmed the signing on Thursday, with multiple reports pegging the transfer fee at £11 million.

Spurs had one of the Premier League's best midfields a year ago, with Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele and Dele Alli making for a magnificent trio. But as good as the three are, the team didn't have anyone nearly as good to replace them and really fell off whenever anyone suffered an injury or needed a break. That lack of depth was going to be exacerbated in the upcoming season, with Spurs playing in the Champions League.

Wanyama helps alleviate that concern. He is a proven defensive midfielder in the Premier League and will be able to spell Dier. The signing also gives Mauricio Pochettino the option to play with both Wanyama and Dier together if Dembele misses a match. With a bit more depth and some flexibility for Pochettino, Spurs now have some much-needed comfort in their midfield early in the transfer window and there is still the possibility of them buying another central midfielder.

Wanyama and Pochettino have a relationship going back to the manager's time as the Southampton boss. Tottenham tried to sign Wanyama a year ago, but the Saints refused to sell. However, Wanyama's contract at Southampton was set to expire next summer and they had to sell him now or risk losing him on a free in a year. With Wanyama having already asked for a transfer to Tottenham a year ago, Southampton knew that the midfielder wanted out and ensured they would get something back for the Kenya international.

Spurs jumped at the chance to get Wanyama, and they got him at a cut-rate price. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has a reputation for waiting until late in the transfer window to do his business, but it's been pretty clear for a while now that things are changing at White Hart Lane. Now their midfield is too, for the better.

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