Journalist Pete O'Rourke has revealed that Tottenham were close to signing Phillipe Coutinho previously.
Spurs were linked with the ex-Liverpool playmaker in the summer of 2020 when Jose Mourinho was in charge.
What happened with Coutinho in 2020?
Having returned from a successful loan spell with Bayern Munich, notably winning the Champions League, Coutinho was being heavily linked with a move back to the Premier League, just two-and-a-half years after leaving Liverpool for Barcelona in a £142m deal.
The Express said that Chelsea were the frontrunners for the attacker's signature, but Tottenham and Arsenal were in the running for him.
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Spurs were desperately looking for a creative player following Christian Eriksen's departure six months earlier, and Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele's failure to live up to their price-tags, with only six goal contributions between them in almost 50 Premier League games in their first season.
Furthermore, Tottenham had finished in their lowest league position for six years under Mourinho and were looking to add some quality to their ranks.
Gareth Bale would end up joining on loan from Real Madrid in a stunning return to North London, but O'Rourke revealed how it could have been Coutinho.
What did O'Rourke say about Coutinho?
He told GIVEMESPORT: "Tottenham were interested last summer in Coutinho before a move fell down at the eleventh hour, but he would add creativity to that Spurs side."
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Are Tottenham interested in Coutinho again?
Some three years down the line, Spurs still haven't replaced Eriksen and are crying out for some creativity, as proved in their recent games with Southampton and Watford when they looked short of quality in the central attacking areas.
Therefore, some 18 months later, they remain interested in the 29-year-old, who Barcelona want to get off their wage bill.
Coutinho, who earns around £340,000 per-week, has played just 30 times for the La Liga giants since the beginning of last season following numerous injury problems. In total, he's missed 50 games for the club.
And Barca would be willing to sell him for a cut-price with only 18 months left on his deal at the Nou Camp, although Spurs once again face competition from Arsenal.