Why Spurs' under-the-radar buy might be best deal of summer

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Tottenham Hotspur’s signing of Kirsty Hanson from Aston Villa could be one of the most important moves of the Women’s Super League summer. The Scotland forward, 28, arrives after a strong season in which she scored 12 league goals for Villa and finished among the division’s top scorers, even though her former club ended the campaign in ninth place. Spurs secured her for an undisclosed fee as part of a busy transfer window that also brought in Shekiera Martinez, Alice Sombath and Victoria Pelova.

The article says Hanson was drawn to Tottenham by the club’s stated ambition and by the presence of head coach Martin Ho, whom she had previously worked with at Manchester United. Hanson told BBC Sport she felt Ho knows how to get the best from her and that she wanted a new challenge after four years at Villa. She also said Tottenham’s pre-season training had been demanding and that she wanted to keep improving rather than simply arrive as a proven signing.

Tottenham begin their WSL season at home to West Ham on 6 September and are aiming to push beyond fifth place and challenge for a top-three finish and Champions League qualification. BBC Sport notes that Hanson’s output at Villa was significant, including a large share of her team’s goals and strong underlying attacking and defensive numbers. The move matters because it adds an in-form domestic scorer to a Spurs side trying to close the gap on the league’s leading teams.