New Delhi, July 2 -- not the West Ham player, but the player West Ham happened to have.

Fernandes, a 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder, completed his move to Spurs on Thursday in a deal the club confirmed breaks their previous transfer record. The fee, reported at £85 million, is the figure that will dominate the headlines. The case De Zerbi and sporting director Johan Lange are making is that it undervalues what they are getting.

Lange praised Fernandes' "technical ability, intelligence and maturity" in the club's official announcement. De Zerbi reached for something more precise, telling reporters he valued "composure under pressure, ball progression and courage in difficult moments" in the Portuguese midfielder. Those are not th...