Inter Milan beat Tottenham to Argentine midfielder

Tottenham Hotspur looked to have missed on the signing of highly rated Argentinean midfielder Ruben Botta.

According to talkSPORT, Spurs were chasing the 23-year-old with a view to a summer move but have been beaten to his signature by Inter Milan.

It claims Tottenham had been battling with the Serie A side to convince Botta White Hart Lane was a better destination than San Siro.

He currently plays for Buenos Aires side Tigre but his contract expires at the end of the season and was open to signing a pre-contract agreement.

The report claims he has done just that with Inter Milan, snubbing Tottenham to move to the Italian capital on a five-year deal worth £870,000.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has missed out on a second pre-contract agreement after he agreed a deal with Schalke 04 playmaker Lewis Holtby to join for free in the summer.

However, a long-term injury to Sandro meant Andre Villas-Boas would have been short in midfield and he convinced Levy to agree a deal to bring the Germany international to the Premier League early.