What If Harry Redknapp Had Signed Luis Suarez for Tottenham Hotspur in 2011?

Harry Redknapp has written in his new book, A Man Walks On To a Pitch, that he had the chance to sign Barcelona and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in January 2011. 

Currently being serialised in the Daily Mail, the former Tottenham manager's book reveals that Dutch legend Ruud Gullit implored him to sign Suarez. 

In reality, Redknapp eventually baulked at Ajax's asking price and the Uruguayan instead joined Liverpool. What if Spurs had met the £22.8 million fee and Suarez had moved to north London? What impact would the exciting forward have made? Where would Spurs be now?

Spurs fans remember the 2010-11 season for their exhilarating Champions League debut, but it was also a season in which they fell six points short of sealing a return to Europe's elite competition.

Now let's imagine a world in which Spurs signed Suarez.

Luis Suarez arrives at Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day for a fee of £25 million. Having outbid Liverpool for the Uruguayan's services, Harry Redknapp names Suarez on the bench for a trip to Goodison Park. Unfortunately for Spurs, Suarez is unable to make a difference as they slip to a surprising 2-1 defeat to Everton.

Suarez scores his first goal in Tottenham's 3-3 draw at Blackpool, just days after Spurs' 1-0 Champions League win over AC Milan at the San Siro. 

Singled out for criticism as Spurs go 180 minutes without a goal against Wolves and West Ham, Suarez is accused of not working hard enough in defence. Despite finding himself in scoring positions, Suarez's close control is letting him down and Spurs slip six points behind Arsenal in the race for fourth place. 

Redknapp surprises observers by handing Suarez a start in Tottenham's trip to the Bernabeu, and he responds by opening the scoring, but Spurs are soundly beaten 3-1. Also scoring in the return leg, Suarez can't prevent Real Madrid from prevailing on aggregate (4-2). 

Suarez suffers a thigh strain early in Spurs' 3-3 north London derby draw in April and is forced to watch from the sidelines as Spurs follow with two more draws. 

He makes his return as Spurs host relegation favourites Blackpool, and he scores twice in a 5-2 Tottenham win. Redknapp even shifts Gareth Bale on to the right wing in order to accommodate Suarez.

With Tottenham three points behind both Arsenal and Manchester City, Spurs' season seems as if it will once again come down to a trip to the Etihad. 

Roberto Mancini selects a conservative lineup for the seemingly decisive match and, with Suarez afforded the freedom to attack, Spurs win 3-1. 

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Tottenham move level with Man City with all the momentum on their side, but they fail to win either of their final two matches and finish fifth, behind Arsenal on goal difference. 

2011-12 is considered the season that might have been by many Spurs fans. In our fantasy world, Harry Redknapp shifts to a 4-3-3 formation to allow Bale and Suarez greater freedom in attack.

Rafael van der Vaart is occasionally rotated in but fails to find a place in the new formation and grows frustrated. By January, Van der Vaart requests to leave the club.

Suarez scores in each of the first four games of the season and, by the time Van der Vaart hands in his transfer request, has already reached 15 league goals. Bale also chips in with 10 as Spurs sit third.

Suarez adds two more goals to his tally in a 3-3 draw with Man City and hits a hat-trick as Tottenham rout Newcastle 6-0 days after Harry Redknapp is acquitted of tax evasion. 

In the FA Cup semi-final, Suarez scores the only goal as Chelsea are eliminated and Tottenham reach their first FA Cup Final since 1991. 

A goalless draw at home to Blackburn and a surprising 3-2 defeat away to Bolton leave Spurs holding on to third by a single point from Arsenal. A Gareth Bale brace at Villa Park leaves Spurs only needing a point on the final day to secure their return to the Champions League. 

Spurs host Fulham on the final day and Clint Dempsey scores an early goal to heighten Spurs' nerves, but a rare goal from Luka Modric and a Michael Dawson header secure a 2-1 win. Arsenal blow West Brom away with a 4-0 win, but Spurs finish ahead of their north London rivals for the first time since 1995. 

Suarez scores one and creates another as Tottenham beat Liverpool at Wembley to secure the FA Cup and a memorable season. 

Time to wake up. 

Harry Redknapp describes the failure to sign Luis Suarez as one of the biggest regrets of his managerial career. He's right. 

Had Spurs broken their transfer record to sign the livewire Uruguayan, they would almost certainly have avoided the stunning collapse that marked Redknapp's final season in charge.

Many Tottenham fans remember the 2-3 defeat to Man City—chiefly the moment when Jermain Defoe evaded Bale's cross at 2-2—as a sliding doors moment. Had Defoe (or maybe Suarez) managed to score that goal, Tottenham's history would be vastly different. 

Suarez revitalised Liverpool and changed the landscape of the Premier League. Had Tottenham signed him instead, it is unlikely that Liverpool would have emerged as a genuine title contender just a few seasons removed from signing Paul Konchesky. 

Luis Suarez may have been the greatest player to have played in the Premier League. A team with him and Gareth Bale would have been astonishing.