Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs were reportedly snubbed when they tried to bring Barca starlet Puig to the Premier League.
Barcelona starlet Riqui Puig turned down a move to Tottenham Hotspur over the summer because he was not confident of featuring regularly for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, according to claims made by Catalunya Radio.
The 20-year-old is one of the most exciting youngsters to emerge from Barca’s famed La Masia academy in recent years but, unlike breakthrough stars Ansu Fati and Carles Perez, Puig has found first-team football hard to come by under Ernesto Valverde.
A gifted play-maker with a release clause worth £88 million in his contract, he has not featured for the Catalan kings all season with his tally of La Liga appearances still stuck at a measly two.
Understandably, Puig is determined to play more regularly and, speaking to Sport after featuring once again for the Barcelona reserves, he admitted that a loan move away from the Camp Nou could be the best solution for everyone in January.
It seems unlikely that Tottenham will renew their interest, however, given that the 5ft 7ins pass-master has already turned his nose up at a potential move to North London.
Claims made on Catalunya Radio state that Puig decided against joining Tottenham because he didn’t feel that he would suit the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, a la former Arsenal loanee Denis Suarez.
Furthermore, Puig felt that he wouldn’t feature consistently enough in Tottenham’s starting XI. Considering that he is desperate to play, it certainly wouldn’t make more sense leaving one bench for another.
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