Tottenham saw their approach for a Premier League midfielder rebuffed earlier this summer.
Tottenham Hotspur have been active so far this summer, spending £237million in an attempt to rejuvenate a squad which finished in 17th place last season.
Roberto De Zerbi prioritised addressing the problems in defence and midfield at the start of the summer transfer window. This led to the Lilywhites spending a record-breaking £100million to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, while Mateus Fernandes moved across the capital from West Ham in an £85million deal to reinforce the midfield unit. Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have been brought in to add much-needed stability and experience to their defence.
Tonali and Fernandes were identified as targets early in the summer. Despite heavy interest across the Premier League, Tottenham acted decisively and managed to secure the duo’s signatures in July. However, it has now emerged that Spurs were also interested in signing another Premier League midfielder.
Liverpool rebuffed Tottenham approach for World Cup winner
According to an exclusive report from CaughtOffside, Tottenham were one of the clubs to have approached Liverpool for the signing of midfielder Alexis Mac Allister earlier this summer. Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City have also made contact with the Reds in recent weeks. However, Liverpool rejected those approaches.
Alexis Mac Allister’s father, who also acts as his agent, confirmed that his son has never expressed a desire to leave the club and will remain at Anfield. This effectively slammed the door shut on any exit talks. Liverpool are planning to hold new contract talks with the Argentinean midfielder later this year. With two years left on his existing deal, they want to secure the 2022 World Cup winner’s future and keep him as a central figure in their long-term project.
Tottenham did well to sign Tonali and Fernandes
If the reports are to be believed, Tottenham’s interest in Mac Allister should not surprise our fans. De Zerbi wanted a technically strong, hard-working and experienced box-to-box midfielder to fit into his system, and it looks like he was keen to reunite with Mac Allister. The pair worked together at Brighton for a couple of years before going their separate ways.
Perhaps, after Liverpool rebuffed Tottenham’s approach for the South American star, De Zerbi pursued aggressively for Tonali and convinced him to become a part of his revolution in North London. Fernandes has also been added to the squad, and the Portuguese will bring a lot of tenacity, steel and energy to Tottenham’s midfield.