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South American striker reveals how Edu blocked Tottenham switch after making broken promise

Paolo Guerrero could have joined Tottenham in 2013

Paolo Guerrero could have joined Tottenham in 2013

Arsenal’s departing sporting director Edu once blocked a lethal South American striker from joining arch-rivals Tottenham by promising him higher wages that ultimately did not materialise, a report has revealed.

Edu confirmed his exit from the Gunners on Monday after five years back at the club working behind the scenes, with the Brazilian now expected to take on a new role under current Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

However, while working at Brazilian giants Corinthians, Edu dealt Peruvian icon Paolo Guerrero a blow when the attacker was looking for a return to Europe after previously playing in the Bundesliga for 12 years.

It was January 2013, before Harry Kane’s emergence, when Tottenham made an offer for the player only for Edu to step in and block it.

The Brazilian did not want Peru’s all-time highest goalscorer to join his former rivals and offered Guerrero an improved contract, one which would make him the “highest paid footballer in South America”.

But Guerrero claims Edu did not fulfil his promise over a new deal with vastly improved wages. Indeed, the forward eventually left Corinthians in 2015, but for rivals Flamengo instead of getting his big move to the Premier League.

Guerrero told the D&T programme: “When I arrived at Corinthians, I said to myself: ‘I win the Club World Cup and I’ll go back’ [to Europe]. Did I have opportunities to return to Europe? Many, but Corinthians didn’t want to sell me or didn’t want to negotiate. The last offer came from Tottenham, which was a loan-purchase option – and might’ve improved their premier league betting title chances.

“I went with the proposal to talk to Edu, who is now Arsenal’s director, and I said ‘I have this, please’. His response was: ‘Do you want the crooked thing to kill me, Paolo? Rest assured that here you will be the highest paid footballer in South America’.

“He didn’t comply. I didn’t renew with Corinthians because the proposal they made me wasn’t within what I think I deserved. I believed that because I was Peruvian, they were not valuing me.”

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Guerrero miss led to Soldado deal

Former Bayern striker Guerrero has not yet returned to Europe since leaving Hamburg in 2012, but remains a South American football legend, chalking up an impressive 122 caps for Peru.

As for Tottenham, they ended up signing Roberto Soldado, who struggled to adapt to the English game and his failure ultimately led to Kane’s breakthrough.

Indeed, Soldado scored just 16 goals in 76 games for the club after Spurs paid £26million for his services from Valencia.

Edu, meanwhile, returned to the red half of north London as the club’s first-ever technical director, overseeing the signings of the likes of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz in a key role under Mikel Arteta.

He is now expected to take up a new role working under Forest owner Marinakis.

Latest Tottenham news: Milan midfielder on January radar / links to Real sensation emerge

Tottenham interest in midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has been confirmed in a report, which states the club are working on a January deal for a midfielder, as it’s known whether or not they’ll land the AC Milan man.

According to Football Insider, Spurs are already working on a deal to sign a midfielder in the January transfer window. It comes amid interest in AC Milan midfielder Reijnders.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly willing to let summer signing Endrick leave the Bernabeu on loan – with Tottenham seen as one of two clubs in a strong position to sign the prodigious Brazilian teenager in the January window.

The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the game’s hottest prospects, having already won 13 senior caps for Brazil and having moved to Real Madrid in the summer just gone in a deal that will ultimately top €60m (£50.4m, $65.4m) if all bonuses are met. However, with competition strong in the Los Blancos ranks, Endrick has found himself limited to appearances mainly off the bench so far.

As a result, Fichajes claims Tottenham have already thrown their hat into the ring over a potential January deal.