Mourinho has made clear that Lionel Messi was never an option that was on the table for Tottenham Hotspur.
Messi informedBarcelona that he wanted to leave due to a clause in his contract, but he will now remain at the Camp Nou for the 2020/21 season.
Manchester City were strongly linked with Messi and, having narrowly avoided punishment for Financial Fair Play in recent months, Mourinho saw the opportunity to take a dig at Pep Guardiola’s side.
“[Would I sign Messi] for my Top Eleven team? No, not for Tottenham. Just for Top Eleven,” Mourinho told Joe.co.uk in a promotional video for Top Eleven.
“We respect Financial Fair Play at Tottenham.
“He can only go to a team that doesn’t respect Financial Fair Play, so it’s not Tottenham, for sure.”