Daniel Levy will rue the missed transfer opportunities (Image: Getty)
Former Tottenham scout David Pleat has opened up on several stars who he advised Spurs to sign for minimal fees whilst he was working for Spurs.
Ange Postecoglou’s side splashed the cash over the summer to address their lack of depth in key areas. Wilson Odobert, Archie Gray, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke were signed by the club as part of their spending spree.
However, Spurs may not have had to spend significant amounts in recent times if they had taken onboard the advice of their former scout and manager, Pleat.
Speaking to The Athletic, the 79-year-old revealed that he had highlighted several players that Tottenham should sign who have now gone on to develop into top-quality Premier League players.
Pleat played a key role in Tottenham’s recruitment over the years, being heavily involved in the acquisitions of Gareth Bale, Son Heung-min and Jan Vertonghen. He also highlighted Dele Alli as a top talent whilst he was playing for MK Dons, though the midfielder was not the only star who Pleat spotted playing in the lower ranks of the English Football League.
He spotted James Maddison whilst he was playing for Coventry City’s Under-18s and listed the now-England international as a target. Pleat explained: “Maddison was so good it was like he had eyes in the back of his head.
David Pleat managed Spurs between 2003 and 2004 (Image: Getty)
“I went into Tottenham the following morning and said, ‘There’s a boy at Coventry we should sign tomorrow.’ It was an open goal. A tortoise couldn’t have gone slower. They didn’t chase it.”
Maddison wasn’t the only player who Spurs could have developed into a star for a small fee though. Pleat revealed that he advised Tottenham to pursue Jarrod Bowen whilst he was available for £8million at Hull City, as well as Ivan Toney for the same figure.
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Tottenham could have signed Ollie Watkins whilst he was at Exeter (Image: Getty)
Pleat was also a big fan of Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins whilst he was a youngster, despite the now-striker breaking through the ranks as a midfielder. The ex-Spurs scout claims that he advised the higher powers at Tottenham to push for Watkins whilst he was being deployed as a box-to-box midfielder at Exeter City.
However, his pleas fell on deaf ears and Pleat has been forced to watch on as his beloved side missed out on a host of top talents who have thrived on the biggest of stages at different clubs.
