Tottenham Hotspur reportedly attempted to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto before a deal was agreed with Chelsea.
Despite suffering a number of injuries over recent seasons, Neto has been frequently linked with a transfer to a bigger club in the Premier League.
That is a consequence of his impact when fit, with two goals and nine assists coming from just 20 outings during the 2023-24 campaign.
Wolves have been in no rush to cash in on their most prized asset, yet widespread reports emerged on Friday afternoon that Chelsea would be signing the Portugal international.
The West Londoners have allegedly agreed to pay Wolves a fee of almost £54m, including add-ons, for the playmaker, who will now undergo a medical.
However, it could have seemingly been a different story had Spurs succeeded with their own offer for Neto in recent days.
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Spurs made part-exchange bid
According to the Express & Star, Spurs proposed a player-plus-cash deal for Neto that was ultimately rejected.
Wolves were allegedly presented with the opportunity to sign midfielder Oliver Skipp as part of the discussions that were held between the relevant parties.
Instead, officials at the West Midlands outfit opted against substantially reducing the fee that they would recoup and proceeded with a club-record sale with Chelsea.
There is no indication as to whether Skipp would have accepted a move to Molineux, although he remains down the midfield pecking order at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
While Spurs are well stocked for options on the flanks, Neto would have likely got the nod over the likes of Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Timo Werner when fit.
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Money being allocated elsewhere...
Despite having money to spend this summer, it is highly unlikely that Spurs would have splurged well in excess of £100m on just two players at this stage of the transfer window.
Spurs are now allegedly preparing to sign Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke in a deal that could be worth £65m, providing that the player's release clause is met.
Rather than another winger, Spurs arguably require a player of Solanke's stature down the centre of their frontline having failed to find a suitable alternative to Harry Kane last summer.
Darren Plant
