10 World Cup Winners Who Spurs Nearly Signed

6. Miroslav Klose

If ever there was an example of salt being rubbed into wounds in this sport, it was Miroslav Klose's record-breaking goal against the hosts during that 7-1 humiliation in Belo Horizonte last July. As if the inglorious massacre of that day wasn't enough for the Brazilians, they also got to witness Germany's 36 year old striker whip the all-time goal-scoring record from the clutches of the great Ronaldo. What makes Klose's 16 goals on the biggest stage so magnificently extraordinary, was that he never truly excelled at club level. Sure, he was a top striker in the Bundesliga, and scored over 150 goals throughout a 15 year career, but apart from a failed stint at Bayern Munich, he was never on the books for any of Europe's heavyweights. Yet, when the Polish-born German pulled on that all-white strip, he transformed into a ferocious goal-poacher, as predatory and clinical as they come. Two years ago, Spurs and Klose almost became an item, but were only prevented from doing so by - well, it depends on whose version of events you would believe. According to the 2006 World Cup Golden Boot winner, it was him that rejected the advances of the North London club, in the interests of seeing out his time in Serie A.

''Tottenham came looking for me, but I signed for Lazio until 2014 and I intend to respect that contract.'' - Miroslav Klose, September 2012.

Whether to save face, or simply to pour scorn on a bare-faced lie, former Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas would quickly retort, stating that it was in fact he who did the rejecting.

''The player had been offered to us by the usual round of agents, but there was never any real negotiation. Klose is an important player, but I have very good strikers. With Defoe, Adebayor and Dempsey, I can feel comfortable.'' - Andre Villas-Boas, September 2012.