'Mauricio Pochettino didn’t want anyone… I know for a fact’ - Redknapp Tottenham claim
TOTTENHAM manager Mauricio Pochettino did not want to sign any new players the last two transfer windows, according to former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp.
Mauricio Pochettino does not want to sign new players, Harry Redknapp has claimed (Image: Getty/YouTube: BT Sport)
Tottenham have drawn criticism in the last year for not making one signing.
Last summer they became the first Premier League side ever, since the summer transfer window was introduced in 2003, to not sign one player, and followed that up with another dry window in January.
A Daily Mail report last week claimed Pochettino has turned down the chance to recruit three players in that time, despite the Argentinian’s stance on transfers to the media.
While generally taking pride in his work and the club’s reputation, Pochettino did send a seemingly rehearsed message to club directors while speculation over the Manchester United job was rife.
[Pochettino] didn’t want any players - I know that for a fact
Harry Redknapp
“If we want to win titles we need to operate in a different way,” he said. “At the moment we operate in the same way as we operated in five years ago when we arrived.
"Of course, maybe we can win some titles but it's going to be a tough job to do because in that situation every club in the last five years was improving a lot.
"The other day I saw a stat that in the last 10 years in England and in Europe how the teams were spending money, and I think we were on the bottom, in England and Europe.
"Of course we're doing a fantastic job but if we want to be real contenders we need to operate in a different way in the future."
Mauricio Pochettino has defied reports in the press about his influence on transfers (Image: Getty)
The conflicting claims over whether it is the club’s purse strings or Pochettino’s preference of a tight-knit squad which have led to Tottenham’s dormant transfer approach is unclear.
But Redknapp, who was the first Spurs manager to manage the club in the Champions League, says he knows for definite that Pochettino did not wish to add to his roster.
“He’s got a fantastic squad there. If you put all the names down in that squad, and go through them all - they’ve got a great squad.
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Mauricio Pochettino has insisted he maintains a good relationship with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy (Image: Getty)
“They’ve got four full-backs - take your pick - they’ve got fantastic centre-halves, they’ve got midfield players galore. People keep saying they need another centre-forward.
“Where are you going to get another centre-forward? Who’s going to come and be a number two? Because no one is good enough to take Harry Kane’s place. There’s no centre-forward around.
“[Pochettino] didn’t want any players - I know that for a fact. He was happy with his squad. He feels he’s got enough, he can juggle around, Son can play through the middle.
“[You know for a fact?] Yes. Didn’t want anybody. He’s happy with his squad and he’s proven himself right. He’s bang [up the top of the table] there still.”