Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a truly superb transfer window.
They have been active throughout the summer and have brought in a number of players to strengthen Jose Mourinho’s squad.
The headline-grabbing signing, of course, is Gareth Bale, who has returned to Spurs on loan from Real Madrid.
While he has yet to play for the club – he arrived with a small injury – he could make his debut following the international break, perhaps against West Ham United.
The likes of Sergio Reguilon, Matt Doherty, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Carlos Vinicius have arrived too, as has Joe Hart on a free transfer.
This has been an excellent transfer window but it appears that the club have been attempting to sign a central defender to go along with those acquisitions.
There was a lengthy pursuit of Milan Skriniar, the Inter Milan defender, while there was also interest in John Stones.
The Daily Star, though, reports that the Manchester City defender snubbed a move to north London.
Spurs had made a loan move as manager Mourinho looked to bring in an experienced international centre-back, but the centre-back did not want to move his family from Manchester to London.
The 26-year-old has played just once for City this season, in the 3-1 win over Wolves, but he does not intend to leave unless he is told by manager Pep Guardiola that he is no longer in his plans.
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
Stones would have been an intriguing acquisition for Spurs.
He is a talented, ball-playing defender and it is telling that City have only won once in the Premier League this season, in the game that Stones started. Without him, they have conceded six goals against Leicester City and Leeds United.
He is a 39-cap England international, too, and this is a player who could have brought steel and experience to the club’s backline.
One cannot begrudge his reasons for staying, either, as he is putting his family before football.
Still, it appears that Spurs remain in the market for a defender as they look to pull off a swoop for Swansea City’s Joe Rodon before the domestic transfer deadline in 10 days.