Arjen Robben believes Tottenham Hotspur have signed a player every bit as good as Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard in the form of his compatriot Rafael Van der Vaart.
The 27-year-old moved to White Hart Lane from Real Madrid in a shock £8 million deal on transfer deadline day, and the former Chelsea winger suggests Van der Vaart can make Tottenham Hotspur one of the best teams in the Premier League.
Robben believes Real Madrid have made a serious error selling Van der Vaart for such a nominal fee, but in a thinly veiled attack at his former club, the ex-Chelsea star suggested the La Liga club’s transfer policy left a lot to be desired.
The Bayern Munich ace told ESPN: “In terms of his (Van der Vaart) vision, his range of passing, his ability to split a defence and his eye for goal he is as good as Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard and of course Frank Lampard.
“He is that bridge for Spurs that makes them go from a very good Premier League club to a team capable of taking on and beating any side in Europe on their day.
“When you consider the amount of money Real Madrid and Manchester City have spent on players, it's almost unbelievable to think what Spurs reportedly paid for Rafa.
“Madrid almost gave away one of the best players in the world - but that's their style.
“They got rid of me and Wesley Sneijder in the same summer and I went on to win my domestic league and get to the Champions League Final while Wesley went on to win the Treble and become the best player in the world. Madrid's mistake will very much be Spurs' gain.”