£15m player begged Tottenham to let him go on international duty but they said no
Destiny Udogie’s agent Stefano Antonelli has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur did not grant his client permission to be a part of Italy’s side in this international break
This season, the 20-year-old has surprised everyone in the Premier League. He has been fantastic for Spurs at left back, and he’ll soon establish himself as a mainstay for the Italian team as well. Nevertheless, Tottenham prevented him from realizing his goal of representing his country this week.
Tottenham did not allow Destiny Udogie to go on international duty
Tottenham signed Destiny Udogie from Udinese last year for an initial fee of £15 million (Sky Sports).
The Italian enjoyed an outstanding season at Stadio Friuli after being loaned back there for a season. After joining Spurs in the summer, he has been an important member of the Premier League team under manager Ange Postecoglou.
Udogie also made his debut for Italy on the international scene last month, and during this international break, he was expected to play again for Luciano Spalletti’s team against North Macedonia and Ukraine.
The youthful defender reportedly begged Spurs to release him because he was itching to play for Italy this week. Nevertheless, Tottenham refused to give him permission to participate because they believed it would be too risky after a recent knock.
Udogie’s agent, Stefano Antonelli, has now had his say on the situation.
He told TMW: “The first to be sorry is Spalletti.
“Unfortunately, Destiny experienced a flexor issue during the home game against Sheffield United. Tottenham made every effort to get him back for the disappointing Chelsea encounter, in which he played for sixty minutes before being dismissed.
Following that, it was decided that it would be best to avoid taking a chance because there was a chance of relapsing. Destiny attempted, right up until the very end, to persuade the Tottenham staff that he was unique on the national squad.
“We want to be part of history, and being a part of this group in the lead-up to the Euros is to be part of history,” the 20-year-old told me.
Tottenham are right to keep Udogie in London
Tottenham, led by Ange Postecoglou, was dealt two serious injury blows last week.
Following their hobbling off the field, James Maddison and Micky van de Ven announced that they would not be returning to action until the following year.
Tottenham does not need any more injuries at this time, and Udogie, who has already had a blow, has to be preserved as much as possible.
Spurs were therefore entirely correct to turn down his request. In the upcoming months and years, Udogie will have many more chances to represent Italy, but for now, it is more important that he avoid injuries.