Former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy was never known for lavish spending on players, but he was ready to provide an expensive leaving gift, according to a report.
Levy was not a popular figure among everyone in north London, but having delivered the club’s first silverware last season, acted decisively on the fate of Ange Postecoglou and moved to solidify the club's progress with high-profile signings in Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and manager Thomas Frank, the executive was arguably at the peak of his powers.
It therefore came as a shock that at this point, owners Joe Lewis and his family decided it was the moment to cut ties.
Levy almost delivered what would have been his most memorable deal for Tottenham this summer
Nevertheless, Spurs have decided to go in a different direction, despite recent successes, in the hope they can re-establish themselves at the top of the English and European food chains.
It has since been revealed in the Spanish press that Levy himself came close to agreeing a significant step in that direction just weeks before his departure.
According to Los Blancos-focused outlet DefensaCentral, Levy came close to going big on Madrid winger Rodrygo as his final act at the helm in north London.
They go on to reveal that the businessman was ready to fork out €100m for the Brazilian, in what would have been a landmark signing for the club, usurping the record that Dominic Solanke’s transfer set last year.
While Levy had the club’s wallet primed, no official offer was received at the Bernabeu, with uncertainties around whether the project was right for him.
Rodrygo’s future has been the topic of much debate, with him struggling to unseat the likes of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, but it seems he is set to remain in the Spanish capital to fight for his place.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, this transfer would undoubtedly have gone down as one of Spurs’ biggest, in an area they could do with strengthening following the departure of Son Heung-min.
But was this a case of Levy going gung-ho with prior knowledge of his impending departure, in an attempt to leave a positive mark and boost his reputation? That, we may never know.
Regardless of the motivation behind it, Spurs fans may have some regret that the move never came to fruition, whether they had a positive view of Levy or not.
Rodrygo is worth €90m, according to Transfermarkt. Tottenham next face West Ham United, when Premier League action returns this weekend.
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