According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham saw a deadline day bid for Arsenal target Douglas Luiz rejected by fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.
What’s the story?
Well, both Arsenal and Tottenham were keen to sign the Brazilian in January, although Aston Villa held firm.
The Daily Mail add that the Villans rejected three bids in total for Luiz, who is valued at £30m.
Eventually, Spurs decided to wrap up a £15.8m move for Juventus maestro Rodrigo Bentancur instead of submitting another offer for the South American.
Luiz has just 18 months remaining on his contract at Villa Park, and talks over fresh terms are yet to begin.
The 23-year-old has made 94 appearances for Aston Villa since his £15m move from Manchester City in 2019, scoring three goals.
Tottenham were right to avoid Aston Villa talks
In our view, too many clubs overspend trying to sign players from Premier League rivals, when there are plenty of gems to be found across Europe.
In that respect, Spurs were right to sign Bentancur instead of pay over the odds for Luiz.
The 24-year-old boasts 46 caps for Uruguay, as well as a vast amount of trophies for someone who is still a very young player.
Bentancur also has 31 Champions League appearances to his name, whereas Luiz has never played in the competition.
Just take a look at Newcastle, who paid £25m to pinch Chris Wood from Burnley.
Sean Dyche reacted by spending just £12m to sign Wout Weghorst, who scored 25 goals last season in comparison to Wood’s tally of 12.
There is huge value to be found in Europe, so Tottenham were right to avoid being held to ransom by the Villans.
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