According to The Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur feel they would have won the English Premier League title in the 2016-2017 season had they got Liverpool winger Sadio Mane in the summer of 2016.
Spurs wanted to land the Senegal international and were confident they could strike a deal with Southampton.
Tottenham’s former head of recruitment Paul Mitchell had brought Mane to Saint Mary’s from Red Bull Salzburg and was looking to reunite with him at North London.
The Liverpool star’s versatility, athleticism and outstanding performances for Southampton made him appealing to Spurs, but Reds outbid them, coming in with an offer of a £34 million and wages of around £90,000 a week.
Jurgen Klopp has always had his eyes on Mane since his days as Borussia Dortmund manager, and Liverpool ensured that he finally got his man.
Tottenham ended up with Vincent Janssen and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou in the end, and those at the club at the time still have regrets about missing out on the reigning African Player of the Year to Liverpool.
Mane ended his first season with Liverpool with 13 goals and five assists in 27 league appearances, but has since improved significantly, scoring 36 league goals since the beginning of last term and boasting of a Premier League Golden Boot.
Tottenham missed out on the 2016-17 title to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea by just seven points, and would have definitely had a greater chance of challenging for it if they had Mane.
