Daniel Levy is an astute businessman, and we have seen him operate at the highest level for years, making a reputation for being one of the hardest people to deal with in world football.

And when you’re in the business for so long, you eventually have a couple of slip-ups. It’s the same with Levy; along the way, there are a few players that have slipped through his fingers. One of the latest players coming into the limelight, who could have possibly been a Spurs player otherwise is Jarrod Bowen.

Pleat’s advice ignored by Spurs

The Lilywhites went against former scout David Pleat’s recommendation to sign the right winger back in 2019.

The North Londoners did sign another highly promising prospect in Jack Clarke from Leeds United in 2019, and the transfer came only a year after his promotion into the first team. While the arrival from Leeds was a highly touted prospect, Clarke hasn’t been able to replicate his potential at White Hart Lane. With the arrival of Clarke, Levy & the officials at Spurs ended up ignoring David Pleat’s suggestion to sign Jarrod Bowen, who was still at Hull City.

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Tottenham’s highly reliable correspondent, Alasdair Gold, has spoken about how the club ignored David Pleat’s suggestion to bring the England international, who is now the skipper at West Ham United. 

Speaking on his highly acclaimed podcast, Gold and Guest podcast, Gold said: (vis. Give Me Sport)

“David Pleat, he’s recommended some good players over the years. I think Dele was a big one of David Pleat’s, and I certainly know of a few situations over the years where Spurs went in a different direction to the player that David Pleat told them to go for, and the player that he told them was the better option.”

“I’m not going to name loads because otherwise it looks really rubbish, but one of them, I’m pretty sure, when they signed Jack Clarke, was suggesting Jarrod Bowen.”

“Obviously, Jarrod Bowen has gone on to be a very effective Premier League player. Jack Clarke still could, now at Ipswich Town, but when you looked back, it kind of seemed like one was the more obvious deal.”

Tottenham regret passing on Jarrod Bowen

David Pleat has a reputation to understand the talents of players while they are still young, and he has huge connections in the lower ties in English football, making him one of the most reliable faces to scout highly regarded talents in England, and that shows as he was highly certain about Bowen’s abilities. 

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However, Levy went on to turn a silent eye on Pleat’s counsel and went on to bring Clarke, who went on to feature only four times wearing the Lilywhites badge. The sunk cost to Clarke’s services is too hefty, as Tottenham lost a potential player who could have made Spurs attack one of the best in the country, if not Europe.