Everton striker Kevin Mirallas has opened up on the time when Tottenham Hotspur were interested in signing him two years ago.
The 30-year-old star is currently on loan at Serie A side Fiorentina for the season, and has spoken about the time when Spurs wanted to prize him away from Goodison Park.
The forward – who has also been farmed out on loan to the likes of Olympiacos – reportedly can have his transfer to the Italians made permanent next summer if they so wish.
However, he has spoken about how he was tempted by the prospect of playing in the Champions League with Spurs two years ago, but the move never materialised.
“I thought I’d finished my journey in Liverpool, I was looking for new challenges. There was also Tottenham who were courting me,” he told the print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport [8/09].
“The charm of the Premier League, the chance to participate in the Champions, new emotions, but nothing.”
OPINION
Mirallas has fallen out of favour at Everton, so it comes to no surprise that he has been loaned out in the two years since Tottenham were interested in signing him. It remains to be seen why they were interested in signing him in the first place, especially if you look at the calibre of strikers that they have on the books at the moment. There is no doubting that he was a good player back then, but he was certainly not at the standard of playing for a team like Spurs. The fact that he has been loaned out shows how much his form has dipped, and it is arguable that he would have sat on the bench for the majority of the time if his move to Tottenham materialised. However, the fact that he was tempted by the prospect of playing in the Champions League comes as no surprise either – any player would be tempted by that. It can be implied from his comments that he was gutted that he did not end up joining forces with them, and it is interesting to think about what would have been if he did.