Tottenham complete signing of midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson

Gylfi Sigurdsson

Tottenham have successfully fended off interest from Swansea City and Liverpool to secure the services of Iceland international Gylfi Sigurdsson from Hoffenheim.

The 22-year-old, who enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Swansea last season, becomes the first player to arrive at White Hart Lane since André Villas-Boas was appointed head coach on Tuesday.

Sigurdsson, who began his professional career with Reading before joining Hoffenheim in 2010, scored seven times in 19 appearances for the Swans and picked up the Barclays’ Player of the Month award for March.

He found the net against Spurs in April with a fine 20-yard effort and settled with consummate ease in the Swansea team despite joining halfway through the season.

Sigurdsson had been set to complete a £6.8 million move to the Liberty Stadium last month, only for the club’s manager Brendan Rodgers to leave for Liverpool, who then failed in his attempt to bring the attacking midfielder to Anfield.

However, it’s believed that Tottenham’s offer was more lucrative to Sigurdsson than either Liverpool or Swansea’s.

The transfer casts doubt over the future of Rafael van der Vaart, the Netherlands international who has been linked with a move to Schalke, while his former club Hamburg are also reportedly keen.

Van der Vaart’s midfield team-mate Luka Modrić is also expected to leave White Hart Lane this summer, with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United all interested in the gifted Croatia midfielder.

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