The £13m transfer bargain Tottenham lost to rivals that could come back to haunt them

One of the underrated signings of the summer is Liverpool's acquisition of Federico Chiesa for just around £12.5 million—£10 million upfront and the rest in easily achievable add-ons.

Let's address this upfront: some people claim Chiesa is injury-prone, but that is simply not true. Last season, he played 33 Serie A games and scored nine goals. He’s now in peak physical condition, having recovered from injuries two years ago, and last season proved he could bounce back with class.

Juventus were willing to sell him for two reasons: first, the manager prefers other players, and second, they needed to raise funds. This is why Tottenham should have jumped at this deal.

Chiesa's agent was in London and held meetings with Spurs twice, trying to convince them to take the plunge, especially given Tottenham's good relationship with Juventus, having successfully signed Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, both of whom were surplus to requirements in Turin but have since become key players in North London.

Chiesa was determined to move to Tottenham for various reasons, including the opportunity to reunite with Bentancur and Kulusevski, which would have eased his adaptation to English football. Sources have indicated that Bentancur and Kulusevski were already working to convince him to join Spurs. The fact that a European Cup winner like Chiesa could have been signed for just £10 million will surely be a regret if he excels at Liverpool. This was a deal that seemed tailor-made for Ange Postecoglou’s system.

Chiesa can play on both the left and right wings, which would have provided Postecoglou with tactical flexibility during games. He can also play as a number 10, as demonstrated in his earlier career, and Spurs are in desperate need of a winger who knows how to score goals.

He scored nine goals last season and ten in his final season at Fiorentina. Coming from a footballing family—he’s the son of Enrico Chiesa—he would have thrived under Postecoglou’s attack-minded philosophy, which brings out the best in players like Chiesa.

He would have been the perfect fit for Tottenham's project, and it just feels like this is the signing that got away from the Lilywhites this summer.

As it turned out, last season, Spurs suffered from a lack of depth when James Maddison injured his ankle and struggled to regain form upon his return. Giovani Lo Celso is looking for a new club, and it appears his heart is no longer in it, so this was a deal that should have been signed, sealed, and delivered.

Chiesa has since landed in Liverpool, who are quietly going about their business and seem poised to succeed under Arne Slot. But it’s hard to shake off the feeling that this was all there for Spurs to seize.