Tottenham Break Club Record to Sign Sombath From Lyon
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- Tottenham broke their club-record women's signing this summer to bring in France defender Alice Sombath from Lyon, having spent around £375,000 on Norway forward Signe Gaupset in January.
- Spurs also added forwards Shekiera Martinez and Kirsty Hanson, defender Caitlin Dijkstra, midfielder Victoria Pelova and goalkeeper Selma Panengstuen, mixing young European talent with proven WSL goalscorers.
- Tottenham finished fifth in the WSL last season — a significant improvement on the year before when they flirted with relegation — and Ho has stressed the ambition is to compete with the league's best and reach Europe.
- Martin Ho, who joined as manager in July 2025, had identified targets across three transfer windows and deliberately wrapped up summer deals early so he could work with the full squad through a complete pre-season programme.
- Managing director Andy Rogers, at Spurs for 24 years, led this summer's women's transfer business before stepping down, while CEO Vinai Venkatesham arrived from Arsenal in April 2025 hoping to replicate the success he was involved with there.
- Tottenham's women's investment coincides with a broader boardroom overhaul after chairman Daniel Levy departed in September 2025 and an ambitious men's window following a Premier League campaign that nearly ended in relegation.
- Off-field gaps remain: average WSL attendance was just 1,734 last season and a planned new women and girls academy facility at Hotspur Way was blocked in court this week.
Why it matters: With only the top three WSL teams qualifying for the Women's Champions League and Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United having dominated those spots, Tottenham's record Sombath deal and £375,000 Gaupset outlay are their clearest signal yet of intent to break in — yet a 1,734 average WSL attendance and a blocked academy planning application expose how far off-field infrastructure still lags the squad-building push.
