Monday, 3rd February, 2014
Tottenham Hotspur did not sit idle on the last day of the January transfer window. In fact, Spurs tried to pull off an audacious swoop for a player Arsene Wenger has labelled "one of the great hopes of French football", Marseille midfielder Florian Thauvin.
The White Hart Lane outfit tried to buy Thauvin from Marseille before the window slammed shut, according to French daily La Provence, offering a tempting sum of money plus midfielder Etienne Capoue.
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However, Marseille quickly decided to reject the offer, insisting that Thauvin stay put at the Stade Velodrome.
Thauvin only joined Marseille last summer from Lille, a transfer which caused its fair share of controversy due to the manner in which the creative midfielder pushed it through.
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Wenger is a confirmed fan of the 21-year-old and has admitted trying to snap him up while he was at Bastia; Lille ultimately won that race.
Thauvin has settled well at Marseille and already clocked up 18 games in Ligue 1 along with six goals for his new employers.
It remains to be seen if Tottenham will rekindle their interest in Thauvin when the transfer window reopens in the summer.
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