The final hours of the transfer window are always a whirlwind of rumors, frantic negotiations, and last-minute gambles. For Tottenham Hotspur, this summer’s deadline day was no different.
The club’s priority became crystal clear: find a new forward to bolster the attacking options for their new manager, Thomas Frank. This urgency was only heightened by the concerning injury update surrounding primary striker Dominic Solanke.
In a twist of fate, just days after Frank had publicly played down the need for a new number nine, the club’s strategy shifted dramatically.
The player who ultimately became the solution was Randal Kolo Muani, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on a straightforward loan deal. However, the path to signing Kolo Muani was not a direct one.
Before turning their attention to the French international, Tottenham’s recruitment team had set their sights on a different kind of attacker entirely. Their first choice for an offensive injection was not a central striker, but a dynamic and proven winger: Ademola Lookman of Atalanta.
According to the renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham made a concrete move to bring Lookman to North London.
The proposal from Spurs was structured as a loan deal, which included an option to make the move permanent at a later date.
This type of offer is often appealing to buying clubs as it allows them to manage finances and assess a player’s fit before committing a large transfer fee. However, for the selling club, it can represent a significant risk.
Atalanta, fully aware of Lookman’s value and importance to their team, swiftly rejected Tottenham’s proposal. The Italian club had a very clear stance on the player and was not interested in any deal that was not a guaranteed, permanent sale.
In fact, TBR Football understands that the Nigerian international was himself open to the possibility of joining Tottenham, which makes the collapsed deal all the more intriguing for Spurs fans.
It is important to note that Tottenham were not alone in their failed pursuit. European giants Bayern Munich also tested the waters with an official loan offer featuring an option to buy for around 28 million euros.
Reports suggest that Atalanta did not even bother to send a formal reply to Bayern’s bid, such was their determination to keep hold of their asset.
The club closest to actually securing Lookman’s signature was Inter Milan, who presented a loan offer with a mandatory obligation to buy for a fee of 42 million euros, plus potential add-ons.
Even that substantial offer was turned down, with Atalanta believed to be holding out for a figure closer to 50 million euros.
This context shows that Tottenham’s rejected bid was less about the amount offered and more about the structure of the deal. Atalanta were simply not playing ball with any proposal that lacked a firm financial commitment.
Romano confirmed that for Tottenham, the Lookman idea was a serious consideration before they decided to go “all-in” on their eventual signing, Randal Kolo Muani.
This entire episode also sheds light on Tottenham’s broader transfer strategy. Before even considering Lookman, the club’s top target for the left-wing position was a different player altogether: the exciting Brazilian talent Savinho.
In a move that demonstrates their ambition, Tottenham were reportedly prepared to offer a staggering £69 million to secure his services.
However, any potential deal was effectively blocked by Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, who closed the door on any possibility of the young winger leaving, despite the player’s own interest in the move.
This chain of events might ultimately work in Tottenham’s favor. While the immediate outcome is that Manager Thomas Frank will have to utilize his current options like Brennan Johnson, Mathys Tel, or Wilson Odobert on the left flank for the first part of the season, the club has not given up on its primary target
TBR Football understands that Tottenham are likely to return with another attempt to sign Savinho when the transfer window reopens in January. This means that the rejected bid for Ademola Lookman, while a disappointment at the time, could actually be a blessing in disguise.
It prevented the club from spending its resources on a secondary option, keeping the door wide open for a major move for their number one target in the very near future. For the Spurs faithful, it’s a story of a deadline day scramble that could set the stage for an even bigger signing down the line.
