Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts insists that the club should have signed Ruben Dias instead of Joe Rodon and Steven Bergwijn.

Spurs paid £11m to sign Rodon from Swansea City last summer, though that fee could rise to £15m if certain bonuses and add-ons are triggered.

In January of 2020, Spurs paid £27m to secure Bergwijn’s signature from PSV Eindhoven to bolster their attacking options.

Roberts believes that the defence needs to be improved in north London and he feels there was a missed opportunity to sign Dias.

Indeed, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Dias was close to joining Spurs, having agreed personal terms with the club, but he eventually moved to Manchester City instead.

City paid £65m to bring him into the club, while Nicolas Otamendi moved the other way to Benfica, but Roberts feels the money spent on both Rodon and Bergwijn should have been put towards securing Dias’ signature.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “We buy youngsters with potential. Joe Rodon, alright he plays for Wales, he does okay for Wales, he played for Swansea, but in the games I’ve seen him here, he’s at a massive club now, and he looks a bit nervous.

“Maybe in two or three years’ time, he’ll be a good player. For 11 million quid. But you’d have had Ruben Dias for 65 million.

“So if you haven’t bought Bergwijn and Rodon, you’d have got Dias and you’ve got the finished article.”