Manchester United legend Teddy Sheringham has revealed that Diego Maradona was once on the verge of joining Tottenham Hotspur, but the transfer collapsed because of concerns over the Argentine icon's "baggage."
Sheringham Recalls Maradona Transfer Talks
Speaking exclusively on talkSPORT and Burger King's Squad Table, Sheringham, a key member of Manchester United's 1999 treble-winning side, recounted how then-Tottenham manager Ossie Ardiles seriously explored signing the late World Cup winner. Ardiles sought Sheringham's opinion before the move ultimately fell through.
Although Maradona never played in the Premier League, Ardiles later secured another high-profile signing shortly after the failed attempt.
Sheringham's Reaction to the Potential Signing
"We're going back a few years, and you're talking about people you'd want to sit down with, Maradona would have to be one," Sheringham said. "Ossie Ardiles was my manager at Tottenham; he came to me one afternoon. He said, 'I want your opinion on something, Ted. I'm thinking about signing someone, what do you think?' I went, 'Well, go on, who?' He went, 'Maradona.' I just erupted and was like, 'Ossie, just do it.' He said, 'Okay, it's in the pipeline.'"
Sheringham continued: "He came back a couple of weeks later and said, 'Look, we can't sign him. There's too much baggage. But we're going to sign Jurgen Klinsmann instead.' Five minutes later, Klinsmann was at the club and all was forgiven. But Maradona would have been a good one."
Klinsmann's Impact at Tottenham
The revelation highlights how close Tottenham came to landing one of football's greatest talents before opting for Klinsmann, who became a key figure at the club. The German striker made a significant impact during his time at White Hart Lane, helping to soften the disappointment of missing out on Maradona.
This story adds another chapter to the rich history of near-misses in football transfers, with Maradona's potential move to North London remaining a tantalizing "what if."
