Reason Tottenham missed out on signing revealed, despite Mourinho call

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Tottenham missed out on the signing of Thomas Meunier even after personal contact from Jose Mourinho, it has been revealed.

Spurs were heavily linked with Belgium right-back Meunier over the past few months. Available on a free transfer as he prepared to leave PSG, the 28-year-old was a major target for Mourinho.

However, Spurs were beaten in the race for his signature by Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga side officially confirmed Meunier as their player on Thursday.

Now, L’Equipe have revealed what went wrong for Tottenham in their pursuit of the former PSG star.

According to the French source, Mourinho was eager to sign Meunier, and even made a personal phone call to try and convince him to join. It nearly worked, as L’Equipe say the player was open to coming to the Premier League.

However, it appears Mourinho came to a disagreement with Spurs owner Daniel Levy over the transfer. The report claims that Levy was not interested in the deal, ending Mourinho’s hopes of getting his man.

It has been speculated that Levy may have been concerned at the player’s age. Even though he would have been signed for free, Meunier may not have much re-sale value left, as he will be approaching 33 by the end of his new Dortmund deal.

 

MEUNIER REVEALS WHY HE CHOSE DORTMUND

Meunier could have been an ideal addition, as Tottenham sold Kieran Trippier before Mourinho’s arrival. Spurs did not sign a replacement at right-back, leaving Serge Aurier with the main responsibility there. However, Aurier has not always impressed.

Therefore, Spurs could have benefitted from a new right-back. And they had thought they had the advantage for Meunier due to his relationship with international teammate Toby Alderweireld.

However, Meunier has agreed a four-year deal with Dortmund instead. And the Belgian star has now revealed why he has moved to Germany.

“Borussia Dortmund plays exactly the football that I want to play: exciting, authentic and natural,” Meunier told the Dortmund website.

“BVB are known for their enthusiastic fans and the atmosphere during the game with PSG at Signal Iduna Park really influenced my decision.

“I am ambitious and, like when I was in Bruges and Paris, I would like to win titles with Dortmund.”