Tottenham did not rival Chelsea for the signature of long-term target Ross Barkley because they feel they can sign better players in the summer.
Barkley completed a £15million move to Stamford Bridge last week after a deal broke down for on transfer deadline day last summer, with the player deciding to focus on his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.
The 24-year-old, who was entering the final six-months of his contract, was also wanted by Tottenham, with Spurs first registering their interest in the midfielder back in December 2016.
Tottenham were expected to renew their interest this month, but Standard Sport understands that they opted against an approach with Mauricio Pochettino believing better options will be available this summer.
On signing Barkley, manager Antonio Conte said: “He can have good prospects for Chelsea. I think the club decided on this investment also for his contract.
“He’s very young. He has a lot of space for improvement. He’s very strong physically, good technique. He’s a good prospect but at the same time, it will be very important to understand when he can recover from his injury.”
(Evening Standard)
