Chelsea has twice prevented Tottenham from signing a goal machine forward.
Chelsea has twice barred Tottenham Hotspur from signing goal-machine Lautaro Martinez due to the Blues’ own transfer policy. Martinez is regarded as one of Europe’s top attackers and is now enjoying a successful season with Inter Milan, but if things had turned out differently, he could have been playing for Tottenham instead.
It centres on Chelsea’s relationship – or lack thereof – with Romelu Lukaku, who joined to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan in the summer of 2021 for £97.5 million. Lukaku, who was tasked with filling a gap in manager Thomas Tuchel‘s squad at the time, failed to make an impact at Stamford Bridge, scoring only 15 goals in 44 appearances this season.
Elsewhere in the capital that summer, Spurs were hoping to sign one of Inter’s strikers, Martinez. Martinez, together with Lukaku, had helped Milan win the Serie A title the previous season, and Tottenham are apparently willing to pay £60 million for the Argentine’s services.
Of course, the trade did not happen because Inter were only willing to allow one of their attackers depart that summer, with the San Siro club choosing the more lucrative transaction. However, two summers later, Tottenham’s interest in Martinez remained, but Chelsea‘s transfer business thwarted any potential move.
Martinez, who is presently valued at £94 million by Transfermarkt, was on Spurs’ radar in the summer of 2023, ahead of a potential move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This time, however, things were different for Spurs, as star Harry Kane was allowed to go during the same window, with the England captain agreeing to a £100 million transfer to Bayern Munich.
Much to the frustration of the Spurs administration, any approach for Martinez was once again thwarted by Chelsea and Lukaku, who refused to let the Belgian striker join Inter on a permanent basis. Instead, Lukaku went for another Serie A club Roma on a season-long loan, indicating that Inter had no inclination to let Martinez leave.
Given Martinez’s form for the Nerazzurri, this sliding doors moment appears to be even more unpleasant for Tottenham. The 26-year-old attacker has scored 25 goals in 33 appearances for Inter this season, with the Serie A club presently six points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand – oh what could’ve been for Ange Postecoglou’s side!
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