One of Tottenham Hotspur’s most expensive signings of the summer window was also on the radar of Liverpool.
Spurs were among the busiest clubs across Europe in the transfer window, with 10 new first-team signings arriving through the door, some of them for big money.
The way Tottenham have acted this window has surprised my neutrals and has undoubtedly piled even more pressure on Roberto De Zerbi.
Not many expected the Lilywhites to be able to attract the kind of players they did after finishing 17th, with Spurs beating out some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League to some top talent.
Liverpool held an interest in Tottenham’s Mateus Fernandes
While it is well known that Spurs saw off competition from Man United to win the race for Mateus Fernandes, it turns out that the Red Devils were not the only big club after the 22-year-old.
According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, Liverpool also showed an interest in the Portuguese international before he made a move to Spurs.
It is revealed that the Reds planned on moving for a midfielder if Alexis Mac Allister had pushed for a move away from Anfield.
Among the names on the Merseyside club’s wishlist were Fernandes and Monaco’s Lamine Camara, who came close to joining Chelsea on transfer deadline day, only for the Ligue 1 club to pull out of the deal.
Roberto De Zerbi played a big role in attracting Fernandes to Spurs
It has been widely reported that De Zerbi was a crucial factor in helping Spurs beat their rivals to Fernandes’ signature.
This was subsequently confirmed by the 22-year-old himself, with the midfielder revealing that the Tottenham boss promised to be ‘his second dad in England’.
It certainly appears that Spurs have a gem in their hands, and Tottenham fans will be hoping that the former West Ham can fulfil his potential under the Italian.