Revealed: How close Tottenham came to signing Eden Hazard and why transfer fell through

Redknapp revealed Hazard wanted to join Spurs in 2012 but Levy refused to spend £18m, leading him to Chelsea instead.

Harry Redknapp has disclosed how close Tottenham came to signing Eden Hazard in 2012. After Joe Cole, then on loan at Lille, tipped off the Spurs manager about the Belgian winger's exceptional talent, Redknapp travelled to France twice to meet with Hazard and his agent. Hazard was keen on the move and expressed interest in joining Tottenham, even telling Belgian television in February 2012 that it was "a nice club with a lot of good players and absolutely a top coach."

However, the deal collapsed when Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy refused to finance the transfer, despite Hazard being available for just £18m—a bargain price for a player of his calibre. Chelsea ultimately won the race for his signature, paying £32m to bring him to Stamford Bridge. Hazard went on to become a Chelsea legend, scoring 110 goals and winning multiple trophies including two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Europa League before leaving for Real Madrid in 2019.