Schalke winger, Rabbi Matondo, has admitted that Tottenham were one of the clubs who wanted to sign him before he joined Manchester City in 2016.
Matondo graduated through Cardiff City’s youth set up and was once regarded by some as one of the most highly-rated talents in Welsh football.
He joined Manchester City’s academy when he was just fifteen years of age and spent three seasons at the club before being sold to Schalke for £11 million in January 2019 (Mirror) despite not playing a single game for Pep Guardiola’s side.
After a few cameo appearances off the bench last season, the teenager has featured 13 times in the Bundesliga this campaign (transfermarkt.com). The wide-man, who is adept at playing on either flank, has also won four senior caps for Wales.
The 19-year-old revealed that Spurs made an approach for him when he was leaving Cardiff but it was City’s persistence that convinced him to move to the Etihad stadium.
Speaking to Goal.com, Matondo said: “City were interested a year before I moved [from Cardiff]. Everyone in Cardiff knew about it.
“At the time I was not 100 per cent sure that I was ready to leave my home. Cardiff is my city.
MORE SPURS STORIES
“After my father and my agent had looked at the youth academy in Manchester, they were so enthusiastic that they told me I would be crazy if I didn’t take this opportunity.
“Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham were also interested in me. The way City persisted in trying to get me convinced me in the end.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I wouldn’t say that we missed out massively as Matondo is yet to do his talent justice. While he has had few decent performances for Schalke, he hasn’t set the world on fire. However, he still has age on his side and could come into his own with a bit more experience under his belt.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
