Tottenham Hotspur would have signed Virgil van Dijk if they were unable to secure a deal for Toby Alderweireld, per The Athletic.
The Belgium international moved to Spurs in 2015 from Atletico Madrid after a spell with Southampton on loan.
And the Saints moved to replace Alderweireld by signing van Dijk.
However, The Athletic now claims that Spurs would have moved for the defender, who was then playing for Celtic, had they missed out on their current centre-back.
Spurs continued to watch van Dijk, who is now an imperious defender at Liverpool, but felt he was out of their price range after just one season in the Premier League.
The Reds made him the most expensive defender in world football when they signed him for £75 million in 2018. He is now valued at £72m by Transfermarkt.
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
This is one that will likely go down in infamy.
Of course, Alderweireld has been exceptional for Spurs, becoming a brilliant centre-back under Mauricio Pochettino and making 195 appearances for the club in total.
However, van Dijk is perhaps now the best central defender in the world and was integral to the club’s Champions League victory last season; he will soon have a Premier League winners’ medal around his neck, too.
One has to wonder what would have happened if Spurs had decided to sign both – what a partnership that could have been.
Instead, they are left wondering.