João Moutinho reveals how close he was to joining Tottenham

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Phil Costa·16 March 2019

Wolves midfielder João Moutinho has revealed he was just “one minute away” from signing for Tottenham in 2012.

Moutinho – who continues to excel under Nuno Esperito Santo – was in London on Deadline Day after Spurs agreed a €30m deal with Porto.

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However, the relevant paperwork was not submitted in time and the then 25-year-old returned to Portugal before signing for Monaco 12 months later.

“I’ve had one or two opportunities in the past,” he told Mirror Football.

“The first was Everton, the second Spurs. I was in the room but it didn’t happen. It was one minute from happening.

“I had actually signed my contract but it was one minute past the deadline.”

Moutinho is expected to start for Wolves against Manchester United in their FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday.