Ranking The 30 Tottenham Transfers in the Daniel Levy Era
By Ryan Wrenn
#5 Best Transfer Rumor: João Moutinho, Defensive Midfielder
Rumored transfer fee: £24 million
Former club: FC Porto (Liga NOS [Portuguese League])
Current club: AS Monaco (Ligue 1)
Current club stats: 107 appearances, 6 goals, 18 assists (in all competitions)
The beginning of André Villas-Boas’ reign at Tottenham felt like it would be transformative. The Portugeuse coach was going to bring in an entirely new system from Harry Redknapp’s, one focusing on insanely high offside traps and direct attacking football. To some, the loss of Luka Modrić to Real Madrid didn’t even seem like that big of a deal. Villas-Boas was going to have the funds to bring in the players he needed to play his game.
Near the top of that list was then-25-year-old João Moutinho, then of FC Porto. The Portuguese midfielder was the kind of player Villas-Boas needed at the base of his Tottenham midfield, shielding the defense and cycling possession forward. Villas-Boas even convinced Daniel Levy to spend big in order to acquire his signature. Valued then at £24 million, he would have been Tottenham’s most expensive transfer to date.
If the rumors are true, Tottenham actually came very close to completing the deal, only to have it evaporate in the closing hours of the 2012 summer transfer window. The player would eventually move on to AS Monaco, where he plays to this day.
Next: #4 Best Transfer Rumor