Title rivals must be desperate to spend so much, says Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino believes the club’s Premier League title rivals’ summer spending sprees are evidence of desperation.
Manchester United have led the way with a world record £89m deal for Paul Pogba, while Manchester City have also shelled out around £150m and Chelsea remain in the market having spent £65m.
“When you spend a lot of money it’s because you are worried about your squad and desperate to improve it,” said Pochettino, whose side begin their campaign at Everton on Saturday. “I’m very happy with my players and because of that I’m very quiet and relaxed. I trust my squad 100 per cent.”
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Pochettino admits the club’s summer transfer business may already be over following the shock resignation of recruitment chief Paul Mitchell.
The Argentinian boss revealed he tried in vain to persuade the highly rated Mitchell, who followed him from Southampton in 2014, to stay at White Hart Lane.
Pochettino accepts he has lost that battle, and that protracted negotiations with Marseille for winger George-Kevin N’Koudou could have run aground, leaving midfielder Victor Wanyama and forward Vincent Janssen as their solitary signings.
“It’s his personal choice. You know that we have a relationship from Southampton. I’m very disappointed but when someone takes a decision and it’s personal, what can I do?” he added.
“We are open to add one or two players – or maybe no-one. If we have the possibility to sign some players that can improve us, then we are open, but it’s very difficult to find players with this profile because we already have very good players.”