TOTTENHAM are no strangers to missing out on top transfer targets.
The likes of Eden Hazard and Paulo Dybala were both reportedly not far from signing for the London club, while Liverpool outflanked Spurs in the hunt for Luis Diaz last year.
The best players Tottenham narrowly missed out on signing
GettyLuis Diaz signed for Liverpool after negotiations with Spurs broke down[/caption]
When it comes to missing out on top talent, Spurs fans have seen it all before.
In fact, you could fill an entire XI of apparent dead-certs that the North Londoners have somehow missed out on recent years.
So that’s exactly what we at SunSport have done – and Diaz doesn’t even make the cut.
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Tottenham have trusted Hugo Lloris in between the sticks for years but the club supposedly would like a new No.1 soon.
And they nearly signed a younger alternative years ago.
Tottenham brought young Spaniard Pau Lopez on loan in the summer of 2016, with an option to make the deal permanent for just £6m.
They passed up their option because they thought they could get the promising stopper cheaper, instead bidding just £1.7m.
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Espanyol rejected the offer and he instead joined Real Betis, who then went on to sell him to Roma for around £20m in 2019. He is now at Marseille.
Spurs have also missed out on some top defenders over the years aside from Napoli ace Kim Min-jae, who former boss Jose Mourinho wanted and wasn’t allowed to sign.
Sevilla star Jules Kounde rejected Spurs in 2021 before moving to Barcelona in the summer.
The Lilywhites wanted Ruben Dias in 2020, but wouldn’t sanction a £50m fee for the man who has gone on to star for Manchester City.
Going back a little further for the third member of our back three, let’s remind ourselves of the time Spurs wouldn’t pay £13m for Bolton’s Gary Cahill on Deadline Day in August 2011.
Getty – ContributorSpurs could have had Pau Lopez for just £6m[/caption]
GettyJules Kounde didn’t want to join Tottenham[/caption]
GettyRuben Dias has gone on to star at Manchester City after Spurs refused to pay his asking price[/caption]
He would join Chelsea instead the following January, going on to win every single club trophy he entered with the Blues at least once during his seven years at Stamford Bridge – scoring against Spurs a few times in the process.
Adama Traore is our right wing-back after he rejected Spurs as he didn’t want to play as a wing-back under Antonio Conte.
On the left side we’re bending the formation rules a little to shoehorn Eden Hazard into the team.
In the summer of 2012, the Belgian flirted with just about every club in Europe as it became apparent he would leave Lille.
PA:Press AssociationGary Cahill could have joined from Bolton in the summer of 2011[/caption]
ReutersAdama Traore nearly signed for Spurs in 2022[/caption]
EPAEden Hazard flirted with many clubs prior to joining Chelsea[/caption]
He famously met with Harry Redknapp at a hotel, telling the former Spurs boss that he’d come to White Hart Lane if his side qualified for the Champions League.
As it happened Tottenham did in fact come fourth, but lost their spot when Chelsea won the competition themselves.
Joao Moutinho came within a whisker of replacing Luka Modric during the summer Deadline Day of 2012, but late haggling cost Spurs dear.
They eventually agreed a £24m fee for the Portuguese ace, only for paperwork to not go through in time.
Tottenham thought they had a clear run at signing Jack Grealish in 2019, when Aston Villa were experiencing financial difficulties.
But they appeared to be taking the mickey out of the of the Midlanders with their opening bid – reportedly trying their luck by offering £3million and Josh Onomah.
PA:Empics SportTottenham left it too late to sign Joao Moutinho from Porto in 2012[/caption]
GettyJack Grealish joined Man City for £100m last summer… Spurs offered £3m just two years earlier[/caption]
Spurs wouldn’t stump up the £30m that Villa wanted and that was that – with the England man since going from strength to strength, joining Manchester City for £100m in 2021.
Another gut-wrencher for Spurs fans came in the summer of 2019, when they thought their club had agreed a deal worth around £65m for then Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala.
The move fell through after no agreement could be found regarding the player’s image rights and he remained in Turin until he left for Roma three years ago.
An honorary mention has to go to Willian‘s disastrous 2013 U-turn, with the Brazilian completing a medical at Hotspur Way before signing for Chelsea instead.
But in our second wide forward position, we have gone for Rivaldo.
As Barcelona underwent a clear-out in 2002, Daniel Levy flew to Spain to try and convince the Brazilian icon to join Spurs.
GettyPaulo Dybala’s image rights were worth too much for Spurs[/caption]
AP:Associated PressDaniel Levy wanted to sign Rivaldo from Barcelona[/caption]
In the end, the forward snubbed Levy because he couldn’t offer European football.
Nevertheless, he said after he had moved to AC Milan: “I was very excited about the possibility of playing for Spurs and in England. I would like to thank the club for their efforts in trying to sign me.”
At least he was polite.
Rounding off our XI is none other than Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gabon star spent much of the last decade scoring goals for the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea.
I came here, I went to the stadium, White Hart Lane, and the day after they just never called back
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Although many of those goals could have instead been for Spurs… if they had returned his calls.
Asked by Sky Sports if he would rather play for Tottenham or call it a day, he said: “You don’t need to ask the question, you know it already. I would retire.
“Even more because a few years ago I was close to signing for Tottenham and at the end I don’t know what they did.
“I retire for sure. I was at Saint-Etienne or at the beginning of Dortmund.
“I came here, I went to the stadium, White Hart Lane, and the day after they just never called back. So I was like ‘ah okay, no worries’.”
Oops.
Getty Images – GettyPierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been shown around White Hart Lane even before his first game there with Dortmund[/caption] Read More