Daniel Levy to blame after Liverpool hero admits he wanted to join Tottenham – ‘this is my club’
Tottenham fans were forced to witness some excruciating moments during Daniel Levy’s time as chairman.
Levy left his post as Spurs chairman after 25 years during the summer, with many supporters happy to see the back of him.
Although Tottenham won the Europa League final against Manchester United, marking a positive end to his tenure, they also suffered through his many mishaps.
One of those was Spurs’ failed move for Bruno Fernandes in 2019 before the Portuguese maestro joined Man United.
Meanwhile, Tottenham also missed out on signing Jack Grealish in 2018 after only offering a derisory bid of £3million and Josh Onomah in exchange.
Fernandes and Grealish are two prime examples, but worryingly, they may not be the worst players the North London club missed out on during his tenure.
Sadio Mane wanted to join Tottenham before Liverpool
In an interview on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, Sadio Mane admitted that he rejected a move to Manchester United before joining Liverpool in 2016 from Southampton, and instead favoured Spurs to reunite with Mauricio Pochettino.
“I had a meeting with Tottenham, and the same time, [Mauricio] Pochettino called him and said ‘I want to have Sadio to come to Tottenham training ground’,” Mane said.
“And then I go to the Tottenham training ground a week after, and I see the facility, I meet the coach, I talk to him, and I was more convinced than the Man United project, because the problem was too many big players.”
“Then I go to meet Pochettino, I say ‘okay, so make sure you agree with my agent, everything I will come to Tottenham’. And I come back home, three days later, club called me ‘this is my club, this is what I want, I give you my word’.”
| Sadio Mane’s Premier League record |
| 263 appearances |
| 111 goals |
| 43 assists |
Spurs fans will wince at the idea that Mane wanted a switch to North London before Liverpool swooped in, as he became one of Europe’s best wingers.
Not only did he set the division alight with electric performances, but he also helped the Reds beat the Lilywhites in the 2019 Champions League final, while winning the Premier League a year later.
Daniel Levy was the reason Mane didn’t join Tottenham
It’s crazy to think Spurs could have had a forward trio of Mane, Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, although Levy’s penny-pinching crushed that dream.
While the Senegalese winger wanted to join and was sold by Pochettino’s project, Tottenham’s strict wage structure scuppered the deal.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who reported in 2017 that Levy needed to be convinced to meet Mane’s wage demands, despite him scoring 11 Premier League goals in 2016/17 for Southampton.
Unfortunately, it’s this lack of ambition that prevented Spurs winning a trophy during Pochettino’s reign, and why supporters are happy Levy stepped down as chairman.
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