Diego Milito, the former striker for Inter Milan and Argentina, has talked about how, back in 2008, he was on the verge of joining Tottenham Hotspur but ultimately decided to return to his native Genoa.
At Spurs, goals have not been hard to come by thanks to players like Harry Kane, Gareth Bale, and Jermain Defoe. If Diego Milito had carried out his planned relocation to N17, there was nearly another name to add to that list.
Milito scored 250 goals in his playing career in Argentina, Italy, and Spain (Transfermarkt). Even though he and Inter Milan won the Champions League, it appears that Genoa was where his true passion was.
Why did Diego Milito reject Spurs?
Milito discussed his close call to sign with the Spurs and his decision to go back to Genoa in a recent interview (translated by Google translator).
That was an amazing scenario, and I can only imagine what may have occurred if I hadn’t traveled to Genoa. I liked Tottenham because of Ardiles and [Ricky] Villa, so those were really difficult times. I was on the verge of doing a contract with them. I was not entirely content and joyful, though, and I’m not sure why.
I received a call from Preziosi the day before the market closed, asking whether I would like to return to Genoa. My wife said I had a completely different face.
“I had the urge to go back to Genoa to complete a task. I’ve always taken decisions based on my emotions. We completed the negotiations swiftly, and I informed the Zaragoza president that all I wanted was to go back to the Grifone.
Fair enough, sometimes you have to trust your gut when making a decision because it seems right. I would have loved to see what Milito could have accomplished in England; he was a highly brilliant player. It’s unfortunate, though.