Spurs could have had Ousmane Dembele and Alexander Isak

[crokey]

I can't believe we missed out on Messi when he played for Newell's Old Boys, and why did we not have a scout at Nacional to get Cristiano? Sack everyone.

 

[KingKay]

Eto'o and Bergkamp.

 

[R_1001001]

Could've had that Yidi Knight bloke ...

 

[Dharmabum]

I'm not sure a thread would cover all the players we 'could' have had. We'd need to dedicate a whole new site.

Happy with what we have for now.

If you - and those who supports you with their "winner icon" - are happy with having the likes of Son, Sissoko, Janssen, N'Koudou rather than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Chrisitan Pulisic and Ousmane Dembele....well, we just have to agree to disagree about that choice. Spurs aren't exactly crowded with fast, ball-skilled goal-scoring (wide) attackers.
And no, it was not meant as a thread about all the players Spurs "could" have had but those are players Spurs actually "should" have had. When 4 such prominent players apparently are so close to signing for Spurs but all 4 get snapped up by the same club (Bor Dortmund) I feel those in-charge should sit down and scrutinize why Spurs could not even get 1 or 2 of them. Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele made negative comments about Spurs' way of negotiating while Pulisic was on a trial/having a look at the club. They were very much withing the "grasp" of Spurs.
It's a bit like the Suarez case: Spurs could have had him but due to totally inept scouts - who told Harry he wasn't any good as a longer striker - they passed on him and the rest is history.
There is always room for improvement ....even at big clubs like Spurs.
NB! I am well aware that Spurs have been excellent in the transfermarket when it comes to signing bargain and "almost" bargain players. Lloris, Walker, Tripper, Rose, Toby, Jan, Wimmer, Dier, Wanyama, Dele, Eriksen, all fall into either the bargain or "almost" bargain category.
But with just 1 or even 2 of the 4 players mentioned Spurs would have been in a much better position.

 

[Jimmypearce7]

Anyone could have signed anyone.

 

[Dougal]

If you - and those who supports you with their "winner icon" - are happy with having the likes of Son, Sissoko, Janssen, N'Koudou rather than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Chrisitan Pulisic and Ousmane Dembele....well, we just have to agree to disagree about that choice. Spurs aren't exactly crowded with fast, ball-skilled goal-scoring (wide) attackers.
And no, it was not meant as a thread about all the players Spurs "could" have had but those are players Spurs actually "should" have had. When 4 such prominent players apparently are so close at signing for Spurs but all 4 get snapped up by the same club (Bor Dortmund) I feel those in-charge should sit down and scrutinize why Spurs could not even get 1 or 2 of them. Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele made negative comments about Spurs' way of negotiating while Pulisic was on a trial/having a look at the club. They were very much withing the "grasp" of Spurs.
It's a bit like the Suarez case: Spurs could have had him but due to totally inept scouts - who told Harry he wasn't any good as a longer striker - and the rest is history.
There is always room for improvement ....even at a clubs like Spurs.
NB! I am well aware that Spurs have been excellent in the transfermarket when it comes to signing bargain and "almost" bargain players. Lloris, Walker, Tripper, Rose, Toby, Jan, Wimmer, Dier, Wanyama, Dele, Eriksen, all fall into either the bargain or "almost" bargain category.
But with just 1 or even 2 of the 4 players mentioned Spurs would have been in a much better position.

I said I was happy for now. We are moving forward with a settled young squad. I'm enjoying that rather than worrying about whether players we might have signed might have settled and might have succeeded.

 

[Khilari]

Wonder what was weird about our negotiations? Weird clauses? Actual negotiations rather than caving to unreasonable requests? Levy conducting negotiations whilst atop a pogo stick?

From a distant friend who's not even an actual friend nor ITK, apparently Daniel likes having his bald head stroked by players before they sign on the dotted line.

I know. I hear ya - what's 'weird' about that? Well I'll tell ya. He wants it stroked by the player's own hair. And not using hair on their heads.

Now you see why it's weird. And why the players have a special handshake designed to help them forget those memories.

Some or all of what I've typed above is entirely fabricated.

 

[IGSpur]

If you - and those who supports you with their "winner icon" - are happy with having the likes of Son, Sissoko, Janssen, N'Koudou rather than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Chrisitan Pulisic and Ousmane Dembele....well, we just have to agree to disagree about that choice. Spurs aren't exactly crowded with fast, ball-skilled goal-scoring (wide) attackers.
And no, it was not meant as a thread about all the players Spurs "could" have had but those are players Spurs actually "should" have had. When 4 such prominent players apparently are so close at signing for Spurs but all 4 get snapped up by the same club (Bor Dortmund) I feel those in-charge should sit down and scrutinize why Spurs could not even get 1 or 2 of them. Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele made negative comments about Spurs' way of negotiating while Pulisic was on a trial/having a look at the club. They were very much withing the "grasp" of Spurs.
It's a bit like the Suarez case: Spurs could have had him but due to totally inept scouts - who told Harry he wasn't any good as a longer striker - and the rest is history.
There is always room for improvement ....even at a clubs like Spurs.
NB! I am well aware that Spurs have been excellent in the transfermarket when it comes to signing bargain and "almost" bargain players. Lloris, Walker, Tripper, Rose, Toby, Jan, Wimmer, Dier, Wanyama, Dele, Eriksen, all fall into either the bargain or "almost" bargain category.
But with just 1 or even 2 of the 4 players mentioned Spurs would have been in a much better position.

Pulisic is the same age as Edwards I've seen them both play in youth football before Pulisic was 'known' and Edwards was as good or better, or outplayed him in a weaker team iirc. Pulisic has just got his chance as Dortmund do, and Edwards has had a bit of an injury plagued season, and is in a league where chances for youth players are harder to come by.

Also as someone said if we signed PEA we may never had had Kane. Though one from the wings would have been nice.

But you listed all of our players that so far have not come off, if you brought up every single Dortmund player I'm sure there are some that have not come off. Yes we can do things differently but you're asking for a 100% success rate in signings. You listed 11 successful signings above, and 4 so far meh signings, though I'd also consider Son a relative success, so we are doing fairly well. We just struggle when it comes to splashing big money or signing attackers

 

[Grey Fox]

We could have signed a lot of players, but agents, wages, attitudes, and bigger clubs tend to get in the way. I will give you Willian

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

Forget about who we could have signed, we actually signed Moussa Sissoko

 

[StartingPrice]

We could have signed...HULK!!!

Just let that sink in for a moment

 

[Ionman34]

Anyone could have signed anyone.

 

[Dharmabum]

We could have signed a lot of players, but agents, wages, attitudes, and bigger clubs tend to get in the way. I will give you Willian

Willian is a different case in that Chelski simply outbid Spurs (as we all know just after the medical). I can't hold Levy & co. responsible for not matching Chelski's offer.

 

[Dharmabum]

I can't believe we missed out on Messi when he played for Newell's Old Boys, and why did we not have a scout at Nacional to get Cristiano? Sack everyone.

I think most of those people who were "in charge" during those years are no longer at the club anyway

 

[Dharmabum]

We could have had Maradona, we could have had Le Tissier...

Poch out.

Maradona was actually offered around to various English clubs back in 1978....for 60,000! Sheffield United were one of the clubs that were closest to signing him but decided to go for Alejandro Sabella instead! (It's a bit likethe famous NBA draft back in 1984 when Portland Trailblazers decided to pick Sam Bowie at 2nd pick instead of Michael Jordan, who went to Chicago Bulls at 3rd pick).

 

[Dharmabum]

Not bothered Moussa Dembele tbh, he's had a decent campaign, scored a few against Man City but apart from that he is playing in a league which is really about league one standard, still a talent but if he failed a medical or we decided to look elsewhere I think there is a reason for that.

Pulisic is a crazy talent, but we have many talented kids who play in his position, most notable of which is Dele Alli, but also Marcus Edwards in a few years we hope.

Aubameyang was an error on our part. However, again had we signed him would of Kane ever been given the chance? Probably not.

The thing about all of these examples is we actually haven't lost out all that much in not signing them, people have come in and filled in. Yes another striker would be useful, but not sure Dembele is the answer. Most successes from the SPL in recent years have been defensively minded players while who was the last striker to come from the SPL and be a success in the PL? Henrik Larsson I think. Meanwhile since then, Kenny Miller, Gary Hooper and Vennegoor of Hesselink have all looked out of their depth in the PL.

I partly agree with you, as this case has grey zones as well.
Regarding Moussa Dembele I agree that he may not have done so well at Spurs. But at least he's adjusted to life in England and its style of football. And say Spus had loaned him out to Celtic, well they'd have potential 25-30M transfer fee at least.
Dele plays more on the left side though, as Pulisic is a left-footer played mostly on the right side at Bor. Dort. Besides, from his point of view - seeing how well he's done at Bor Dort. - he did the right thing.
The Bundesliga has a good track record when it comes to African players so, of course, there would have been guarantee that Aubameyang would have been such hit in the EPL as he is in the Bundesliga but with his talent I reckoned he'd done well in the EPL as well. Yes, it may have hampered the progress of Kane and yes he would have left for a "bigger" club than Spurs eventually (it's said he'll join Real Madrid coming summer), but he could have partenered Kane as well. And Bor Dort. are looking at around 60-70M should they sell him.
I am a bit upset though that Spurs did not go full out for Ousmane Dembele.
Thus said, Spurs have to excellently in gathering such a quality squad with their "limited" means (limited compared with some of the wealthier EPL clubs).

 

[Dharmabum]

Pulisic is the same age as Edwards I've seen them both play in youth football before Pulisic was 'known' and Edwards was as good or better, or outplayed him in a weaker team iirc. Pulisic has just got his chance as Dortmund do, and Edwards has had a bit of an injury plagued season, and is in a league where chances for youth players are harder to come by.

Also as someone said if we signed PEA we may never had had Kane. Though one from the wings would have been nice.

But you listed all of our players that so far have not come off, if you brought up every single Dortmund player I'm sure there are some that have not come off. Yes we can do things differently but you're asking for a 100% success rate in signings. You listed 11 successful signings above, and 4 so far meh signings, though I'd also consider Son a relative success, so we are doing fairly well. We just struggle when it comes to splashing big money or signing attackers

When it comes to knowledge about Spurs' academy players (and most probably academy players at most other clubs), well, I can't beat your vast and extensive knowledge (I am not even close), and I have no problem to admit that
But regarding Pulisic, the fact is that at present he's achieved much more than Edwards have. Yes, in the Bundesliga the chances for youth players may come easier but that doesn't take away the fact that he's playing regularly for a club that's better than Spurs both in their domestic league and in the CL. And the EPL is not, unlike what many may claim, better than the Bundesliga.
However, from his point of view Pulisic did the right thing by joining Bor. Dor. and there is no guarantee that he'd done as well for Spurs should he have joined them. And Edwards may turn into a Spurs star in 1-2 seasons (if he stay injury free).
True, signing Aubameyang may have hampered Kane's progress but Kane may have learned things under him as well and they may have been able to form a formidable partnership as well. Spurs sure could have needed a player of Aubameyang's quality leading up to Kane's emergence (Aubameyang and Bale would have spent 1 season together). But despite that I think he's a better and a more complete player than Kane, I'd rather have Kane than him though. However, Aubameyang would catch a cool £60-70M when sold.
I listed players who Spurs were very close to signing but "messed up". Spurs were close to signing Willan as well but I don't consider that deal as "messing up" as Wilian and his agent, plus Chelski, messed up in such a way Spurs couldn't do anything.
Son I agree is a relative success but for the fee, £22, he's done what was one can expect at that price so I won't consider him even an "almost" bargain.
Of the 11 players I listed (Lloris, Walker, Tripper, Rose, Toby, Jan, Wimmer, Dier, Wanyama, Dele, Eriksen) I still maintain they're all can be counted as bargains considering the price Spurs paid for them.

 

[Grey Fox]

Willian is a different case in that Chelski simply outbid Spurs (as we all know just after the medical). I can't hold Levy & co. responsible for not matching Chelski's offer.

That's the point I'm not blaming Levy, I am just saying there are many factors why players don't turn up wearing a Spurs shirt, shit happens.

 

[PostmanNat]

If my auntie had a pair if b*llocks, she'd be my uncle. It's all just ifs and buts really, isn't it?

It does however concern me about what happened our end for Aubameyang to call our negotiations 'weird' and refuse any future dealings with the club. Dat sh*t cray.

 

[Mullers]

We could have signed...HULK!!!

Just let that sink in for a moment

He would have been incredible.