Tottenham hijacked Chelsea’s move for Fernando Llorente on deadline day.
Chelsea’s transfer window plans to bring in a striker ended in failure as their top target was snared by rivals Tottenham.
The Blues believed they had an unopposed run at Swansea’s Fernando Llorente and were stunned by Tottenham stealing in.
Perhaps one of the reasons Tottenham’s interest came as a surprise was that Daniel Levy is claimed to have enquired after Michy Batshuayi.
The Mail report: “It is understood Spurs first made an approach for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi but Levy then turned to Llorente.”
Tottenham would have known full well that Chelsea would not entertain selling the Belgian to a rival, just as would be the same in reverse.
Yet if their plot was to distract Chelsea by keeping them busy, it worked.
By time deadline day came around before Chelsea knew it, they had lost out on Llorente.
The striker was heading to Spurs to undergo a medical early afternoon and sealed his switch before the deadline.
Spurs chairman Levy appears to have played a blinder with his Llorente pursuit, and the Batshuayi approach looks like it was the perfect red herring to throw Chelsea off the scent.
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