Former Liverpool ace Dirk Kuyt once opened up on how he rejected a transfer deadline day switch to Spurs – only to then move to Anfield a year later.
The Dutch maestro was causing quite the stir early in his career in the Netherlands with his impressive performances for Utrecht and Feyenoord, earning him a spot in the national squad. His knack for finding the back of the net didn't go unnoticed by Premier League scouts, with Spurs being one of the clubs keen to snap him up.
After three consecutive seasons at Feyenoord where he hit over 20 goals, Spurs, under the stewardship of Martin Jol at the time, tried to lure Kuyt to north London at the end of the summer transfer window of 2005. However, Kuyt turned down the offer.
Instead, he held out for another season before joining Rafael Benitez's Liverpool revolution. Kuyt revealed how his Premier League career could have gone differently to FourFourTwo in 2017.
"A year before I went to Liverpool, I had the opportunity to go to Spurs, where the manager, Martin Jol, and chairman, Daniel Levy, expressed an interest," he said. "But it was on transfer deadline day, and at that time I didn't want to move.
"Later on, Liverpool became the number one club who wanted me, although all the negotiations took a while. Other clubs showed an interest too, such as Atletico Madrid. That's also a nice club, but once I'd heard of Liverpool's interest, it was the only club I wanted to go to. From a young age I'd always liked Liverpool."
The Dutch striker scored 71 goals in 286 appearances for the Reds and experienced the highs of reaching a Champions League final in 2007. He also lifted the League Cup with Liverpool in 2012.
His time on Merseyside came to an end in 2012 where he went on to enjoy success with Fenerbahce before sealing a triumphant return to Feyenoord.
While Spurs missed out on Kuyt back then, this January transfer window has proved fruitful with the club securing four new signings, including a last-minute loan for Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.
The 19-year-old turned down a move to Spurs earlier in the window, but has now agreed to a temporary stay, with Spurs holding the option to buy him come summer for a potential €55million (£45.7million). Should the club decide to proceed, Tel will pen a six-year deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Since his move from French side Rennes in 2022, Tel has made 83 appearances for Bayern, netting 16 goals and assisting seven.
In addition, Postecoglou secured Austrian defender Kevin Danso from Ligue 1 outfit Lens, while new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has already turned heads since his early January arrival.
The club also welcomed youngster Yang Min-Hyeok during the transfer window, although he has since been loaned out to Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers.