Transfer Flashback:
After struggling to find a worthy backup striker to support Harry Kane in his centre-forward duties, Mauricio Pochettino delved into the transfer market in 2017 in search of a clinical forward.
Following a summer typically fuelled by intense speculation, Tottenham signed Fernando Llorente from Swansea City in a deadline-day deal worth £14 million, pipping Chelsea to his signature in the process.
The Tottenham supporters had become frustrated with the sparsity of their options beyond Kane, so Llorente’s arrival was naturally greeted with widespread enthusiasm.
Here’s how the fans reacted to Llorente’s arrival on Twitter…
Llorentte is a complete striker
— Adrian Palmieri (@apalmz24) September 1, 2017
He'll definitely score goals for us the guys a beast in the air he's also beer technically good as well for his size
— Tim wells (@caysiesienna2) September 2, 2017
Lorentz is a quality player just wish we got him 6 years ago
— david soilleux (@davidsoilleux) September 1, 2017
Beast in the box when you're desperately lobbing in crosses late in the game.
— Jeff Schlein (@jeffschlein) August 31, 2017
I'm very happy with our new signing; Llorente will score many goals for @SpursOfficial Just the player we need, will be a game changer #COYS
— Chris Cowlin (@ChrisCowlin) August 31, 2017
Llorente's signing has hints of VDV signing on deadline day I feel. A class act looking for a new challenge that joins out of left field
— Stephan (@FootballGogme) August 31, 2017
What an unheralded, delicious piece of business.
— Nelly Evans 🏆 (@NellyEvans79) August 31, 2017
Bargain!
— Karen Parker (@karenparker_70) August 31, 2017
£12 million a steal for him, considering today's market
— Kieran (@mufc_ksp1988) August 31, 2017
Well done Levy & co!!!
— Kalle Flygar (@KeyFly007) August 31, 2017
Clearly, the Tottenham fans had high hopes for the Spain international and they were thoroughly expecting him to consistently find the back of the net, but reality has far from mirrored expectation.
Whilst it’s certainly no easy task for Llorente to play second fiddle to the electric and practically immovable Kane, he has failed to deliver when he has been handed a rare opportunity by Pochettino.
Llorente has scored just 5 goals from 35 appearances for the club, 3 of which arrived in a 6-1 drubbing over League One opponents Rochdale.
His toothless form has seen him drift into obscurity and he has practically been exiled this season with just 44 minutes of competitive football under his belt in all-competitions, so it’s fair to say that the initial reaction to his arrival was rather misplaced in hindsight.
With prestigious names such as Athletic Bilbao and Juventus on his CV, the fans were absolutely right to expect much better from their summer signing, but it was a transfer that seemed to arrive too late in his career.
Llorente was far from the right solution to Pochettino’s second striker conundrum and his search for an attacking talent to thrive in the role of Kane’s understudy goes on.
Tottenham fans – Is Llorente finished at Spurs? Let us know below!
