Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Victor Wanyama from Southampton for a fee of around €13.6m, with the Kenyan midfielder signing a five-year deal at White Hart Lane.
Wanyama, who played under Mauricio Pochettino at St Mary's, has become Spurs' first signing of the summer and will add extra strength to central midfield, where he may now be paired alongside Eric Dier. Tottenham will also have the Champions League to contend with next season, making the need for additional options even more important.
Southampton signed Wanyama from Celtic in 2013 for €15.5m and were determined to earn the best financial return from his sale.
The 24-year-old scored four times in 97 appearances for the club but had wanted to leave last summer. Tottenham made an unsuccessful attempt to sign him then, with Southampton refusing to allow one of their key players to move. But with only 12 months remaining on his contract, a transfer this summer was almost inevitable.
Tottenham are also looking to secure additional cover for Harry Kane but have not yet submitted a bid for AZ Alkmaar's Vincent Janssen.
The striker visited Tottenham’s training ground two weeks ago after Pochettino watched him play a friendly for Holland against the Republic of Ireland and discussions were held about his future.
Janssen is currently on holiday and has also held talks with the German club Wolfsburg, though Spurs remain his preferred choice.
(Guardian service)
