‘Jack Grealish was a Tottenham player’ – Ex-Spurs chief reveals two huge transfers to ‘replace irreplaceable’ fell apart

JACK GREALISH came adjacent to signing for Tottenham, claims the North Londoners' erstwhile method manager Steve Hitchen.

Grealish, 29, near Aston Villa for Manchester City for £100million successful 2021.

Three years earlier, however, Spurs failed successful a £25m bid.

In September 2018, Grealish adjacent admitted: "I thought I was leaving. Before the caller owners, Villa needed the wealth truthful I benignant of accepted that maine going would prevention the club."

Hitchen played a large relation successful Tottenham's recruitment astatine the time, earlier going to permission successful 2022 pursuing Fabio Paratici's arrival.

Recently appearing connected the Decision Makers podcast, the 48-year-old relived Spurs' failed bid for Grealish.

He said: "We were precise adjacent to getting Jack Grealish, which would person been astir apt 1 of the champion signings.

"Jack Grealish was a 'Tottenham player'. He would person acceptable the spot alight.

"He had the skills, helium would person got the fans disconnected their seat. He would person been a quality successful that time.

"We had Dele astatine that clip and I deliberation those 2 would person pushed each different arsenic well.

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"To miss retired connected that subordinate was monolithic successful that period."

Astonishingly, Tottenham did not motion a azygous subordinate successful that 2018 summertime transportation window.

They past failed to enlistee anyone successful January 2019, contempt Mousa Dembele leaving for Guangzhou R&F.

Hitchen went connected to uncover that Spurs astir pulled disconnected a immense woody for a Dembele replacement.

He added: "We were truly adjacent to getting Frenkie de Jong.

"I deliberation Frenkie de Jong, again, is simply a 'Tottenham player'. I deliberation helium would person made a large quality for us.

"We had to regenerate the irreplaceable successful Dembele. Probably Frenkie could've gone into that presumption and truly succeeded astatine Spurs."

Since leaving Tottenham, Hitchen has go manager of shot astatine endowment bureau Unique Sports Group (USG).

USG correspond respective high-profile stars, including the likes of Reece James, Anthony Gordon, Marc Guehi and Brennan Johnson.