Tottenham abandon striker signing despite hijack of Arsenal deal in bizarre U-turn | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are reported to have abandoned plans to turn their loan move for Scottish striker James Wilson into a permanent deal, despite hijacking a proposed Arsenal swoop for the forward late in the winter transfer window.

Hearts boss Derek McInnes confirmed that the Gunners had entered talks for the 19-year-old, only for Wilson to opt to move to the white half of north London on Deadline Day instead.

There was certainly plenty of buzz surrounding the transfer, with reports even suggesting that Tottenham moved for Wilson to avenge Arsenal scuppering their hopes of signing Eberechi Eze last summer.

Spurs signed the teenager on an initial loan deal with a £2.5million option to make the transfer official, at a time when their attacking ranks had been hit by multiple injuries.

Indeed, Wilson was actually named in the first team matchday squad for the first couple of games after his arrival, with clear indications that they thought very highly of the player.

However, Wilson never made a senior appearance for the club and Edinburgh News now reports that Tottenham are willing to let him return to Tynecastle after opting against triggering his option to buy.

The news comes as a major surprise, given the efforts Spurs went to beat Arsenal to the forward’s signature, and at a time when they have tried to build their squad around developing young talent.

Wilson return predicted by Hearts boss

The decision will not have come as a massive surprise to McInnes, though, with the Hearts boss, who is on the brink of ending Celtic and Rangers’ dominance in Scotland, going public at that time by stating Wilson was not ready for a move to Tottenham.

Speaking back in February, McInnes said: “I couldn’t guarantee him minutes, such is the way it’s been.

“I told him and his agent that our preference was to stay, fight for his place, be part of something. But his head was turned with the Tottenham thing.

“I don’t think it’s the right move for him. Ultimately, it’s academy football and I think he’s better than that.”

Wilson did show flashes in Premier League 2, scoring four goals in eight appearances, while also helping the club’s Under-21s reach the semifinals of the PL2 play-off. However, it wasn’t enough to convince Tottenham to make a permanent transfer.

Wilson will now head back to Hearts, where he has scored eight goals in 45 senior appearances, although it will be interesting to see if Arsenal renew their own interest in the player this summer.

As for Spurs, they currently have their eyes on other forward options, with reports from Spain over the weekend claiming they are ‘ready’ to pay the release clause for a LaLiga striker.

Meanwhile, a Tottenham insider has urged the club to spend big on a Premier League frontman who has netted an impressive 25 goals this season.