Spurs fans have been discussing a rumour which suggests that Mauricio Pochettino wanted Daniel Levy to sign Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum during his time at the North London club.
According to Daily Mail Sport (via Ricky Sacks), the Argentinian manager requested Levy to sign both Mane and Wijnaldum in the summer of 2016, who were at Southampton and Newcastle at the time. Both, of course, have since signed for Liverpool and helped Jurgen Klopp’s side to the Champions League triumph last season, when they beat Spurs in the final.
This season, Mane has averaged an impressive 7.50 rating in the Premier League, whilst his Dutch team-mate has averaged a slightly less impressive 6.87 rating. Considering Liverpool signed the Senegalese winger for just £34 million and he is now valued at £135 million by Transfermarkt, it seems as if for once Daniel Levy missed out on a potentially huge profit.
If you could only have one, who would you rather have in the current Spurs side?
Mane
Wijnaldum
Reaction from Spurs fans to the report on Pochettino wanting Mane and Wijnaldum can be seen in the tweets below.
This is exactly why we will never win anything under Levy. Yes I know we once won the Milk cup or whatever it was called back then.
— Darren Richards (@DarrenR28) March 14, 2020
Precisely why we will never win a thing with Levy in charge. Great business man. Terrible for the football side.
— Lee (@Lee37176513) March 14, 2020
Just more evidence of how Levy is bringing this club down. He doesn’t give Poch the tools then sacks him, absolutely ridiculous. The only way for us to change this is for no one to go or give another Levy another penny until he’s gone. #levyout #enicout
— Perry Walker (@pezzawalk) March 14, 2020
Woooah. Hang on here. You mean that Levy didn’t back his manager. That’s a shock.
— Matt Jarvis (@Baldspur78) March 14, 2020
Unbelievable!!
— Tottenham popspurs (@harj_jhutie) March 14, 2020
One fan even stated that it’s another nail in Daniel Levy’s coffin. Indeed, the likes of Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum aren’t the only two players that the Spurs figure has missed out on in the past, as the Englishman also reportedly refused to splash the cash on Jack Grealish, which may have influenced the fans’ comments.
Another nail in Levy’s coffin
— Archie (@Archie_Tashjian) March 14, 2020
These Spurs fans clearly aren’t too happy that they missed out on two players of the quality of Mane and Wijnaldum.
What do we think?
It is difficult to say why the two decided to join Liverpool over Spurs but if it was a matter of a few million pounds, then perhaps Levy should have paid up and the North London club would surely be looking a lot better for it right now, considering both players featured were on the shortlist for the recent Ballon d’Or shortlist.