Alasdair Gold has revealed in a Q&A for Football.London that Tottenham Hotspur were keen on Brazilian winger Tete before the player made the move to Leicester City at the end of the January transfer window.
Tete made the switch from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk to Leicester on a loan deal until the end of the season (The Athletic). The 22-year-old scored 31 goals and provided 15 assists in 108 games for Shakhtar prior to the move (Transfermarkt).
The player marked his arrival in a big way, scoring on his debut in a thrilling 4-2 win for Leicester over the weekend.
Next up for Tete and Leicester is a visit from Tottenham Hotspur, but things could have been very different if the North London side had pursued their interest in the player.
Spurs were thought to be looking at making a move for Tete by the end of the January transfer window (GiveMeSport) but nothing materialised as the Lilywhites went for Arnaut Danjuma instead.
Now, Gold has revealed the extent of Tottenham’s interest in Tete and posited why the deal may not have happened during the transfer window.
He said: “I know Fabio Paratici has been a big admirer of Tete for a little while. Perhaps the short-term nature of the deal is why Spurs did not get involved now and like you say perhaps they look again in the summer, depending on what the future holds for Paratici.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It’s too soon to say after one game, but Tete sure does look like a talent who could fit in well in the Premier League, and could be a valuable addition to Antonio Conte’s attacking options. If we are looking for someone to replace Lucas Moura in the summer, then snapping up Tete is definitely something we should explore if he continues to perform for Leicester.