Roma Starlet Cengiz Under Reveals Why Spurs Missed Out on His Signature in the Summer
Cengiz Under has admitted that Tottenham missed out on his signature in the summer after Roma's director of football convinced him to move to Italy instead.
The talented attacker was on Spurs' radar for much of the summer transfer window, and his former club Basaksehir had claimed that a deal had been struck for Under's services between the two parties.
However, Under explained to the Guardian that Monchi had swayed him into spurning Tottenham's advances and instead told him of the chance to become a Roma great was too good an opportunity to pass up - words that the 20-year-old stated made him head to the Italian capital.
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He said: “I was convinced after we heard Monchi’s plan. Monchi explained they were making big changes.
"He made it clear that he wanted me as a player for the first-team squad, not as a future prospect. He valued me as a footballer in my own right now, as a rising star with potential.
“He knows what to say and how to explain things. He explained the project in detail, that they are a club not afraid to play young players and that the manager has the courage to give youngsters a shot. That clinched it for me.”
Monchi, who used to work in a similar role for Sevilla, has been hailed a shrewd negotiator and a man who can convince players to join his club's cause over other interested parties.
Under completed an £11.7m move to Roma after reported interest from Spurs and Premier League title rivals Manchester City, and it would appear that the English duo could not offer the same first-team assurances that Roma could.
Since moving to Stadio Olimpico, however, the right winger has only featured six times for I Giallorossi and only two of those appearances have come from the start.
It is up for debate whether Under would have played more frequently under Mauricio Pochettino or Pep Guardiola, but the Turkey international will no doubt figure more often once he's fully settled into his new surroundings.
