Tottenham Hotspur Women have completed the signing of Norway international Signe Gaupset for a club-record fee of £378,000.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder will join Tottenham on January 1 from Norwegian club SK Brann, where she played under Spurs head coach Martin Ho from summer 2023 until he moved to north London in July this year.
It is the third time this season that Spurs have broken their transfer record, having committed to landmark fees for Toko Koga and Cathinka Tandberg over the summer.
Gaupset, a Norway international, was named player of the year in the Norwegian top flight this season after scoring 15 goals and registering 14 assists in 26 appearances to help Brann to their second league title.
“We worked really well together,” Gaupset said of Ho. “He demands a lot, but I like that, I think he can get even more out of me.”
Ho said Gaupset’s “professionalism, ambition and personality” would bolster Spurs’ squad, and believes she is an eye-catching addition for the WSL club.
“A player with her potential naturally attracts attention, so we’re incredibly proud she chose our project and believes in the direction this team is going. We’re excited for everything she will bring to Tottenham Hotspur Women,” he said.
A signing of ‘many statements’
Analysis
Securing Gaupset’s signature is a signing with many statements.
Gaupset was destined to leave Norway in the next year, but for her to choose Spurs as a landing spot demonstrates not only her faith in her former manager Ho but in the overall Spurs project as something worthwhile for one of Europe’s most promising.
It is quite the image overhaul from earlier this year, when Spurs were trundling towards the bottom of the WSL, avoiding relegation by virtue of Crystal Palace having already secured the drop spot.
Now, Spurs sit fifth in the league, level on points with Arsenal and are playing smart, compelling football. They have broken their club transfer record for the third time this season, first for defender Toko Koga and striker Cathinka Tandberg in the summer.
Gaupset’s signing reflects the increasingly obvious coup that was securing Ho as manager. Ho worked with Gaupset during her time at Norway and her decision to re-join her former manager is the latest indication from a young player of Ho’s merits as a talent-developer. A significant influence in Spurs’ recruitment of the former Manchester United and Everton assistant manager was positive feedback direct from former players.
For Gaupset, opting for some familiarity after making the leap to an unfamiliar city and league is a smart one, likely to help quickly integrate her into the team and the WSL.
Gaupset’s talent is known but her ceiling is not. She can play in midfield and out wide and is hugely influential in attacks, something that will only bode well for Spurs as they look to improve in the final third.
For Gaupset’s personal improvement, the decision to forego overtures from teams higher up in the league or around Europe can be viewed as a demonstration of savvy maturity. Players such as Olivia Smith are case in point: a player who opted to develop for a year at Liverpool under the guidance of Matt Beard, before making the record £1million move to Arsenal in the summer.
Gaupset imbues the Spurs project with even more European pedigree and potential, and is the latest show of faith in the women’s project from the ownership.