Georginio Wijnaldum has revealed that current Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino tried to bring him to Tottenham Hotspur before the midfielder moved to Liverpool in 2016.
French outlet L’Equipe report that while Pochettino was in charge of Spurs, he had identified Wijnaldum as a player he felt would bolster his midfield options at White Hart Lane.
The Dutchman has admitted he was the subject of "several" transfer attempts from Pochettino's Spurs, but a fee between the north London outfit and Newcastle, Wijnaldum's club at the time, could not be agreed.
Spurs refusing to budge on their valuation of a player - whether it be in terms of selling or buying, is well-documented and can often work in their favour.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Conte encounter the same problems Pochettino did at Spurs? Comment below.
However, there have also been numerous examples of the club missing out on transfer targets as a result of Daniel Levy 's stringent financial guidelines all Tottenham manager's must seemingly follow.
While previous Spurs manager's may have been willing to work within those rules - Antonio Conte's track record suggests he is not.
The 52-year-old Italian was confirmed as the new boss of Tottenham on Tuesday, penning an 18-month contract set to run until the summer of 2023.
Conte has established himself as one of the best tacticians on the continent in recent years. but has often been armed with a huge transfer war-chest at previous clubs.
During his first summer in charge of Premier League rivals Chelsea, Conte splashed out £118m on four players before guiding the Blues to their fifth Premier League title.
There is certainly a correlation between the money Conte spends and the success he goes on to achieve - as again exhibited by his Inter Milan tenure.
Is Conte the best manager in the world? Vote below
The Italian guided the club to their first Serie A title in eleven years, ending nine years of Juventus dominance in the process, but spent significantly to do so.
Over the course of the four transfer window's Conte oversaw as Inter boss, the Nerazzurri forked out around £250m on transfer fees.
To put that figure into Context, Spurs as a club have spent just £15m more on transfers since 2018 - Conte will both need and expect sufficient financial backing to turn Tottenham's fortunes around.
Whether he will get them or not remains a different story - but given his initial snub of Spurs in the summer, it is likely the Tottenham hierarchy have given him assurances they will loosen the purse strings this time around.
Conte's first Premier League outing comes in the form of a trip to struggling Everton as the Italian looks to rectify the mess his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo caused in just ten games at the helm.
His time in north London - however long it lasts, will be made a lot easier if Conte can receive the kind of financial backing Pochettino did not.
