Sigurdsson for Vorm and Davies: Did Swansea or Tottenham Get the Better Deal?

Last July, Tottenham sold attacking midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson to former club Swansea City while taking goalkeeper Michel Vorm and left-back Ben Davies in the other direction.

From the moment this deal was agreed upon, fans and analysts debated which club had gotten the better deal.

On the surface, it seemed a good deal for both sides.

The sales of several star players had begun to take their toll last season and Garry Monk's side were in need of an immediate injection of talent.

Spurs, a project under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, were in need of greater depth in key positions—particularly at the back.

In Sigurdsson, Swansea brought in a technically excellent player who could virtually guarantee Premier League goals. A former fan favourite, he was easy to sell to the fans and made Swansea a stronger and more resilient team.

Sigurdsson demonstrated a toughness at Spurs that many of his teammates didn't then seem to share. If Swansea were concerned about fighting relegation, Sigurdsson would be able to contribute.

Having lost the previously impactful Michu—first to injury then to Napoli on a season-long loan—Swansea were in desperate need of quality behind the striker.

Despite the fact that Sigurdsson was usually deployed in wide areas at Spurs, he is almost exclusively suited to the creative role behind the main striker. He lacks pace to escape full-backs but thinks quickly and has good close control. His athletic shortcomings are not a problem in that central area.

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The loss of such a talented player would have been expected to be detrimental to Tottenham's campaign, but he was so under-utilised at Spurs that he wouldn't really be missed.

With the younger and unquestionably more talented Christian Eriksen blossoming in Sigurdsson's preferred position, the Icelander would have largely been used in the secondary competitions.

Eriksen has continued to develop and benefited from being largely unquestioned as Spurs' main creative player while Moussa Dembele, a different kind of player, has gradually recovered to the point where he is an acceptable substitute.

The sale of Vorm was similarly motivated. Swansea signed Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and Gerhard Tremmel was the preferred back-up, so Vorm's playing time was likely to be extremely limited.

The goalkeeping situation at Spurs is complex. Hugo Lloris is the untouchable No. 1, while the departure of Heurelho Gomes on a free transfer and the passage of Brad Friedel's 43rd birthday meant Spurs needed a reliable reserve.

Vorm has made 10 appearances for Spurs and performed adequately in most. His terrible error in the FA Cup against Leicester was his worst moment, but he has largely been the perfect back-up keeper.

As was pointed out when he signed, he is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, so he fits Spurs' style.

Were Lloris to be injured or suspended, Tottenham's defence could be reasonably confident that Vorm would be able to take possession under pressure as the Frenchman does.

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The signing of Vorm was intended to solve a problem before it came up and can be judged a qualified success. Had Lloris played against Leicester, Spurs would probably have survived that tie, but Vorm has made positive contributions in other fixtures.

Davies remains a work in progress for Pochettino. The left-back was expected to take the starting role from Danny Rose rather easily, but as the selection for the League Cup Final demonstrates, Davies is the understudy.

Davies has shown his best at times this season and can reasonably be expected to continue to develop, but Rose's surprising renaissance has starved him of time on the pitch.

Sigurdsson began scoring goals as soon as he arrived at the Liberty Stadium while Swansea were wracked by early-season struggles. Some suggested that Spurs had made a poor decision in selling a creative goalscoring threat, but once they found their footing under Pochettino, those vocal critics were silenced.

When Sigurdsson inevitably scores against Tottenham on Wednesday, those same suggestions will likely re-emerge. However, the fact is that this was a deal that served both sides equally well.

Left-back was a problem position for Spurs last season. They now have two strong options.

Vorm has hardly traded down in terms of lifestyle or playing time and Sigurdsson has found his place in Wales. Neil Taylor, Davies' predecessor and replacement at left-back, has only missed one match in the Premier League this season. He's barely put a foot wrong.

Both Tottenham and Swansea improved their teams with this transfer deal. Spurs were looking for development over the longer term and Swansea were searching for immediate impact.

Each sacrificed surplus resources and got what they needed from this series of transfers.