It hasn't been the start to the Premier League season that fans of Tottenham Hotspur would have been hoping for over the summer.
Ange Postecoglou's side have played some brilliant football in their three games thus far, but a lack of clinical finishing has seen them draw away to Leicester City, win at home to Everton and then lose away to Newcastle United.
The Australian coach will need his attacking players to find their shooting boots ahead of this weekend's North London Derby, and while the team's defence was quite porous last season, there is undeniable quality there.
The main starters across the backline are some of the club's most valuable players, especially one of them who has seen his valuation soar in the last year or so.
Spurs' defensive stars
Okay, so the first thing to point out is that yes, Spurs did concede 61 times last season, and while that would suggest that their defence is subpar, most fans will tell you that's not the case.
1
Arsenal
29
2
Manchester City
34
3
Liverpool
41
4
Manchester United
58
5
Chelsea
63
6
Tottenham Hotspur
61
Instead, the North Londoners' tendency to concede is more down to the ultra-attacking style of football employed by Postecoglou and his determination to play a high-line as well, and while that's caused issues at the back, it has also made Tottenham one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the country.
So, let's look at the value of some of the club's primary defenders, starting with Pedro Porro, who, after joining the club for around £40m in January 2023, has established himself as one of the best attacking fullbacks in the league.
In his 57 matches for the club, he has already racked up eight goals and ten assists, equating to a seriously impressive average – for a fullback – of a goal involvement once every 3.16 games.
Moving onto the Lilywhites' starting centre-back pairing, while Radu Dragusin is a talented player, he's firmly behind Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
The former cost Daniel Levy and Co a cool £43m just last summer, and while he has suffered from a worrying number of injuries in his career, his rapid pace makes him an essential component to Postecoglou's ultra-aggressive style of play.
Romero, on the other hand, cost Spurs just a fraction less at £42m, and made the move from Serie A side Atalanta in August 2021. While the World Cup winner isn't quite as fast as his defensive partner, he is the team's leader at the back and is co-vice captain alongside James Maddison.
Moreover, with Lionel Messi describing the Córdoba-born titan as the "best defender in the world", it would be fair to say that he might just be the most crucial member of Tottenham's back four.
However, the last player in this group is currently worth considerably more than the club paid for any of his defensive teammates, and it's not even close.
Destiny Udogie's valuation in 2024
Yes, the final key member of Tottenham's talented back four is, of course, Destiny Udogie, who was signed from Serie A outfit Udinese by Antonio Conte's Spurs in the summer of 2022 for just £15m plus add-ons.
The Verona-born star then remained in his home country for another season on loan before joining the North Londoners just as Postecoglou was doing the same.
The Australian took a liking to the 21-year-old's fearless style of play and attacking attributes and, even though he was a relative unknown to most football fans in England at the time, opted to make him his first-choice left-back – and what a decision that was.
In all, Conte's "masterclass signing," as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, made 30 appearances last season. In those appearances, he scored two goals, provided three assists, and became Tottenham's first player ever to be nominated for the Premier League's Young Player of the Season Award.
Unsurprisingly, such a rapid development from an obscure name to one of the best full-backs in the league has seen his valuation soar. According to the CIES Football Observatory, he is now worth up to €83m, which converts to about £70m, or a 366% increase on the fee paid by the club two years ago.
Ultimately, Spurs are blessed with a seriously talented back four, and while they are all worth a considerable sum of money, the explosion in Udogie's value is a testament to his importance to the club.
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