Over a decade ago, when Hulk was shining for FC Porto, it used to be common to to see him being linked to Premier League clubs.
The forward pursued his career in other leagues, though, playing in Russia, China and now in Brazil since 2021.
Today, outlet Trivela shares a report claiming Tottenham Hotspur could’ve signed him. And that was not so long ago, as it was José Mourinho who wanted him at Spurs.
The story was told by Hulk himself, in an interview with GaloCast. He claims that the Portuguese manager got in touch with him about a move to the London club.
“Mourinho even got in touch with my agent about taking me to Tottenham, but then they realised I couldn’t play in England.”
Hulk makes it sound like he’d have accepted a move to Tottenham, but couldn’t get a work permit.
“I had offers from Turkey, Portugal and England. But I couldn’t play in England, because I’d been in China for four and a half years, and I couldn’t play in English football, because there’s a rule there that you have to be either in the Brazilian national team for a short period of time, or in the five leagues they select.”
The details given by Hulk don’t sound 100% accurate, as the Premier League does allow players from alternative leagues to join them, but perhaps there was indeed a problem with a visa.
With the Tottenham move not working, Hulk ended up joining Atlético-MG in February 2021. He ended up becoming an idol there, and currently has 102 goals and 38 assists in 193 appearances for the club.
