Tottenham’s failure to sign a striker in the January transfer window proved to be a major mistake when Son Heung-min soon joined Harry Kane on the treatment table after the transfer window shut.
In the absence of their two main attacking threats, Tottenham struggled to score goals and break into the top four in the Premier League table.
Ending their search for a striker empty-handed in January could end up costing the Lilywhites a place in the Champions League next season. However, it turns out that the club’s failure to sign a striker was not due to a lack of trying.
Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud (Telefoot) and Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose (Real Sociedad’s official website) have both already admitted that Spurs made an approach to sign them in January only to be blocked from completing the move.
Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke has now revealed that he rejected Tottenham’s approach to sign him in January along with a potential return to Aston Villa.
Spurs were linked with a move for Benteke during the window (The Telegraph) and the forward has now confirmed that the interest from the North Londoners was accurate
Speaking to Belgian publication La Meuse (as relayed by Football.London), Benteke said: “I take the interest of both those clubs (Tottenham and Aston Villa) as recognition.
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“Here, people are decent: they know you’re a good player, that you can bring something extra. Everyone goes through complicated moments without it putting their value in doubt.
“In England, all the parameters are taken into consideration, which goes beyond the number of goals scored. The number of aerial duels won is where I’m quite good.
“The pressure I put on the opposition defence, playing with my back to goal, the player’s professionalism, how he fits in a system: all that comes into play, starting from the principle that a player’s quality doesn’t evaporate.”
When asked why he turned Spurs and Villa down, the 29-year-old said: “Because I needed stability, especially with the kids. Plus, I’m really happy at Crystal Palace.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It was clear that there weren’t too many strikers available in January as we weren’t the only ones who failed to add a striker. We probably turned to Benteke as a last resort after the deals for Jose and Giroud fell through. I am quite glad the deal didn’t come off as Benteke would have been hard to shift had he failed to get going.
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