10 World Cup Winners Who Spurs Nearly Signed

8. Lukas Podolski

With the likelihood of securing a former Gunner on a permanent basis at White Hart Lane in the winter of 2011, reports intimated that Spurs were switching their attention to a future Gunner instead. With Manchester City demanding £17 million for the Togolese forward Emmanuel Adebayor, Cologne's Lukas Podolski came onto the radar for the Spurs hierarchy, who would command a significantly lighter salary. The only problem was - he had rejected Spurs once already. Arsenal supporters revel in the fabled quote of their World Cup winner declaring that 'Tottenham wanted to sign me in Janary but I had no idea who they were'. An amusing jibe it might have been if true, but the origins have the Podolski-Spurs relationship were far less comical as far as Arsenal are concerned. Having burst onto the international scene at the 2006 World Cup, Podolski hinted at a move to either Juventes or Arsenal's North London rivals during his country's Euro 2008 conquest.
''I have been informed about bothclubs' interest. That is very interesting for me.'' - Lukas Podolski, June 2008.
According to Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness, Spurs had followed up their initial interest with a concrete offer, but that 'his heart never left Cologne'.
''Six months ago we had offers of over 20 million euros from Manchester City and Tottenham. I think that he is currently worth between 15 million and 18 million. He only left Cologne with his brain telling him he had to leave the second division.'' - Uli Hoeness, January 2009.
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Contributor

Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future. Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.