Chelsea had expressed interest in signing James Maddison during the summer transfer window but ultimately chose not to pursue the deal due to the player’s age.
This decision paved the way for the English forward to join their London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, as reported by Football Insider.
Both Chelsea and their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, were admirers of Maddison, but they opted against signing players who were over the age of 25.
Chelsea’s policy of focusing on recruiting young talents led them to decline the opportunity to make a move for Maddison, who subsequently completed a £40 million transfer from Leicester City to Spurs.
The English star has had an impressive start to his Tottenham career, contributing to Ange Postecoglou’s team securing 10 points from their first four league matches this season.
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They currently sit in 2nd place on the table, just two points behind defending champions Manchester City.
The 26-year-old has participated in five matches for Tottenham across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing two assists. He has developed a potent partnership with club captain Son Heung-min.
Maddison has earned a reputation as one of the Premier League’s top attacking midfielders. He played a pivotal role in Leicester’s historic victory in the 2021 Emirates FA Cup final, where they defeated Chelsea to claim the trophy for the first time in their history.
Chelsea had the opportunity to sign Maddison, but his age of 26 made him an unsuitable target for the club. The Blues were one of the most active teams in the summer transfer window, spending approximately £450 million on 13 players, with an average age of just 20.5 for the new arrivals.
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Despite their significant signings, they have struggled to achieve positive results in the league so far. They have won only one of their first four league matches, which was against newly-promoted Luton Town.
In a surprising turn of events, Pochettino’s team suffered a loss to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
With the transfer window now closed, Chelsea will have to wait until January to make new signings.
