Romanian centre back Vlad Chiriches joined Spurs from Steaua Bucharest last summer for £8.5 million. At 24, he is no longer at an age where "youth" can be used as an excuse for failure, but he has failed to really make an impact on the team thus far. Having played in just nineteen league games for the Lilywhites and six games in other competitions, he doesn't look like a Premier League player. He spends too much time on the ball, takes far too many risks and appears clumsy - apart from a couple of shining moments, he appears to be more of a liability than a superstar. There is, of course, still time for Chiriches to make his mark, but with Jan Vertonghen, Younes Kaboul and Federico Fazio all apparently ahead of him in the defensive pecking order (and, arguably, Eric Dier), he will have to improve quick to remove his "flop" tag.
