‘Tottenham wanted me on deadline day after Daniel Levy interest – but I said no to them’

Tottenham Hotspur erstwhile tried to entice a aboriginal Liverpool icon to the club, lone for the prolific guardant to snub the power earlier moving to Anfield not agelong after

Former Liverpool ace Dirk Kuyt erstwhile opened up connected however helium rejected a transportation deadline time power to Spurs – lone to past determination to Anfield a twelvemonth later.

The Dutch maestro was causing rather the disturbance aboriginal successful his vocation successful the Netherlands with his awesome performances for Utrecht and Feyenoord, earning him a spot successful the nationalist squad. His knack for uncovering the backmost of the nett didn't spell unnoticed by Premier League scouts, with Spurs being 1 of the clubs keen to drawback him up.

After 3 consecutive seasons astatine Feyenoord wherever helium deed implicit 20 goals, Spurs, nether the stewardship of Martin Jol astatine the time, tried to lure Kuyt to northbound London astatine the extremity of the summertime transportation model of 2005. However, Kuyt turned down the offer.

Instead, helium held retired for different play earlier joining Rafael Benitez's Liverpool revolution. Kuyt revealed however his Premier League vocation could person gone otherwise to FourFourTwo successful 2017.

"A twelvemonth earlier I went to Liverpool, I had the accidental to spell to Spurs, wherever the manager, Martin Jol, and chairman, Daniel Levy, expressed an interest," helium said. "But it was connected transportation deadline day, and astatine that clip I didn't privation to move.

"Later on, Liverpool became the fig 1 nine who wanted me, though each the negotiations took a while. Other clubs showed an involvement too, specified arsenic Atletico Madrid. That's besides a bully club, but erstwhile I'd heard of Liverpool's interest, it was the lone nine I wanted to spell to. From a young property I'd ever liked Liverpool."

The Dutch striker scored 71 goals successful 286 appearances for the Reds and experienced the highs of reaching a Champions League last successful 2007. He besides lifted the League Cup with Liverpool successful 2012.

His clip connected Merseyside came to an extremity successful 2012 wherever helium went connected to bask occurrence with Fenerbahce earlier sealing a triumphant instrumentality to Feyenoord.

While Spurs missed retired connected Kuyt backmost then, this January transportation model has proved fruitful with the nine securing 4 caller signings, including a last-minute indebtedness for Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

The 19-year-old turned down a determination to Spurs earlier successful the window, but has present agreed to a impermanent stay, with Spurs holding the enactment to bargain him travel summertime for a imaginable €55million (£45.7million). Should the nine determine to proceed, Tel volition pen a six-year woody astatine the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Since his determination from French broadside Rennes successful 2022, Tel has made 83 appearances for Bayern, netting 16 goals and assisting seven.

In addition, Postecoglou secured Austrian defender Kevin Danso from Ligue 1 outfit Lens, portion caller goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has already turned heads since his aboriginal January arrival.

The nine besides welcomed youngster Yang Min-Hyeok during the transportation window, though helium has since been loaned retired to Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers.

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