Diego Milito allegedly rejected Tottenham Hotspur way back in 2008.
Diego Milito has been retired for three-and-a-half-years now, but he is still remembered fondly in Italy with two clubs.
The Argentinian hitman made his name in Argentina with Racing Club, but then racked up 34 goals in 62 games for Genoa before continuing to smash goals at Real Zaragoza.
A surprise return to Genoa materialised in 2008, and it’s now being claimed that he rejected a big move to England in order to make that return to Genoa.
Genoa director Stefano Capozucca has spoken to Tuttomercatoweb, and claims that Milito rejected the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur, heading back to Genoa instead.
“To return to Genoa he refused Tottenham, with us he made an extraordinary season and landed at Inter,” said Capozucca.
At the time, Spurs were managed by Juande Ramos, and with Milito joining Genoa on the same day that Dimitar Berbatov left Spurs for Manchester United, he was seemingly viewed as Berbatov’s replacement.
Spurs ended up only signing Fraizer Campbell on loan, before splashing out in January 2009 to re-sign both Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane as a result of missing out on Milito.
After snubbing Spurs, Milito smashed 26 goals in 32 games for Genoa, earning his big move to Inter Milan where he became a favourite of Jose Mourinho – now Tottenham’s boss.
Milito scored 30 goals in 52 games under Mourinho, including a brace to win the 2010 Champions League final, cementing himself as one of the top strikers in Europe.
Spurs would have no doubt loved to have Milito, and Mourinho would love to have a player like him right now, but he will just go down as one that got away for Tottenham.
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