Tottenham Hotspur decided against signing Virgil van Dijk in 2015
According to a report from The Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur could have signed current Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk in 2015, if the club’s attempt to land Toby Alderweireld had failed.
Back at the time, Van Dijk was still at Scottish giants Celtic, whereas Alderweireld had spent the 2014/15 season on loan at Southampton from Atletico Madrid.
Spurs and Southampton were involved in a battle to sign Alderweireld in the summer of 2015. While our club did end up coming out on top, if that hand’t been the case, Van Dijk was next on the club’s target list, as per the report.
The Dutchman eventually made his way to the Premier League, ironically joining Southampton as a replacement for Alderweireld. Since then, he has grown into one of the best defenders in the game.
Van Dijk joined Liverpool in January 2018 and has helped the Reds become one of the best teams in Europe. The 28-year-old played an integral role in their UEFA Champions League triumph last season. He has once again been a top performer for them, as they close in on the Premier League title.
He finished second in the 2019 Ballon d’Or after his exploits with Liverpool, as well as the Netherlands national team.
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It goes without saying that there are no regrets over the signing of Alderweireld. The Belgian has been a fine acquisition for us. he has been an ever-present at the back since his arrival and was key to our rise under Mauricio Pochettino.
However, there is no denying that if the club had signed Van Dijk, he would also have been a top class addition. One can only wonder how the team would have fared under his leadership at the back.
