After falling out with coach Manuel Pellegrini, Riquelme, 29, had been unable to force his way into the Villareal side this season. Spurs were rumoured to have enquired about the availability of the midfielder, who has played 44 games of Argentina, during the summer and new boss Juande Ramos appears to have been interested in bringing him to White Hart Lane.
The Spaniard has, however, missed out on his man, with Riquelme putting the finishing touches to a move back to Boca Juniors, where he spent most of last season on loan, saying: "I thank Spurs for their interest but my family and I want to return home." The midfielder had previously rejected a move to Everton in the summer.
Ramos' interest in Riquelme points to his desire to add creativity to a midfield that has often struggled to provide effective service to the clubs enviable array of forwards and have also lacked the guile and quality to keep possession against the league's top midfielders. It remains to be seen which players Ramos and Comolli focus on now that they have missed out on their latest target.