Exclusive: Ligue 1 club blocked Tottenham’s January move for goalscorer
Tottenham did not make a move to sign Maghnes Akliouche in the recent transfer window due to Monaco’s unwillingness to let him leave midway through the season.
Tottenham set their sights on signing Akliouche last summer after he registered seven goals and 12 assists in 43 games for Monaco throughout 2024-25.
They were unable to strike a deal to take him to North London, and he has continued to impress this season with four goals and five assists in 29 appearances so far this season.
Football Insider revealed last November that Spurs were still monitoring Akliouche ahead of the January window.
They again missed out on his services over the last month, and as I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, that was because Monaco were not open to letting him depart.
Monaco had no plans to let Akliouche leave in January
Monaco sit 10th in Ligue 1 as it stands, but they have progressed to the Champions League playoff stage, where they will face French champions PSG over two legs for a place in the last 16.
Their desire to go further in Europe’s premier club competition has meant keeping hold of their top players, with Spurs priced out of a winter move for Akliouche as a result.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: “I’m sure he’s somebody who still remains on their list.
“Akliouche is a top player. Spurs did explore the possibility of a deal for the attacker in the last summer window.
“They didn’t really pursue it in the January window because there was no chance that Monaco were going to sell.
“They would have been looking at big money to even consider cashing in on the player, and obviously with Monaco still in the Champions League, they wanted to keep hold of their best players.
“He fits the profile for the type of player that Tottenham are looking for to add to their attacking options, a very creative player, a good ball-carrier, and he can score and assist goals.”
Daniel Levy to sell his Spurs shares for £800m after new valuation
Levy stepped down from his position as Tottenham chairman last September after nearly 25 years at the helm in North London.
He has continued to be an indirect investor in the club, despite his exit, due to his 29.88 per cent share in ENIC, which owns 86.91 per cent of the club.
He is believed to be in talks over a £1bn deal to sell his stake in the company, but Football Insider have revealed that Levy’s shares are worth closer to £800m right now.
The shares are believed to be more valuable to the Lewis family, who own Spurs, than any outside investors at this moment in time.