Tottenham's gamble pays off with 14 new players

No other Premiership club has seen as much transfer activity as Tottenham this summer.

Disgusted by a meagre return of 45 points last season, chairman Daniel Levy has appointed a new management team and backed them with the cash for 14 new signings.

Director of football Frank Arnesen is charged with finding the right players to bring European football back to White Hart Lane and, so far, his recruitment policy has been a simple one: 12 of the new arrivals are defensive-minded players - a damning indictment of David Pleat's rearguard which conceded 57 goals last season.

The list also shows a clear emphasis on youth with Noureddine Naybet the only new signing who has a limited shelf-life.

And even here, it could be argued that Spurs are looking to the future with the Moroccan brought in to help nurture a promising crop of young centre-backs including Ledley King, Anthony Gardner, Leigh Mills and Calum Davenport.

The continued absence of a headline grabbing "Carlos Kickaball" - to use Alan Sugar's phrase - is another significant development. Arnesen may have been accessory shopping in Holland, Switzerland and Portugal, but the spine of the team is undoubtedly English.

Even though stars like Edgar Davids, Luis Figo and Steed Malbranque were linked with moves, Thimothee Atouba, Erik Edman, Pedro Mendes and Noe Pamarot were the players who actually arrived - and at a fraction of the price. For a club with a reputation for buying reputations, this could be a new phase.

Arnesen said: "We are not signing names because they are big names, you sign them if they suit Tottenham. If they are big names, it is a plus, but first of all we go for players who can take us to a higher level.

"This is an English club and in the dressing room we have to keep up the culture if it's possible, so if we can get the England players that we want, we go for them. On the other side, I would never not take a foreign player if we think he's good and he can bring us that level higher."

Arnesen's hand has been strengthened by the club's rosy financial position.

Before writing off lost transfer money on Sergei Rebrov and Ben Thatcher, Spurs made a profit of £11 million last year. In revenue terms, only Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle generate more cash.

Like the rest of the Premiership, Spurs have benefited from the renewal of the Sky television contract, but the club have the added advantage of the £15m transfer kitty raised from a share issue last January.

Levy promised then it would be used for new players and he has been good to his word.

Players signed: Paul Robinson (Leeds) £1.5m Sean Davis (Fulham) £3m Pedro Mendes (Porto) £2m Erik Edman (Heerenveen) £1.4m Noureddine Naybet (Deportivo) £700,000 Thimothee Atouba (FC Basle) £600,000 Edson Silva Sousa (PSV Eindhoven) Free Michael Carrick (West Ham) £2.75m Noe Pamarot (Nice) £1.75m Calum Davenport (Coventry) £3m Rodrigo Defendi (Cruzeiro) £600,000 Reto Ziegler (Grasshopper) Undisclosed Marton Fulop (MTK Hungaria) £500,00 Leigh Mills (Swindon Town) £80,000