Arsenal legend insists rumoured Spurs target is going nowhere

Any hopes which Tottenham Hotspur harboured over signing Nice right-back Youcef Atal appear to have taken a substantial blow.

Atal was linked with a potential £34million move to Tottenham by The Telegraph but his current boss and former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Viera has no intention of selling him during the summer.

Tottenham’s two senior right-backs have certainly had a season to forget due to sub-standard form. Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier have both performed well below the expectations of the Spurs supporters.

The 22-year-old looks set to continue his career with the French side next season with Viera insisting that Nice are not a selling club.

The Algerian is predominantly a right-back but recently scored a hat-trick from the left side of midfield.

After two transfer windows of recruiting no fresh faces, Pochettino is expected to bolster his squad this summer as they look to finally make the leap to start challenging for silverware.

Viera told Nice’s official website: “We are not sellers. Youcef will be here next year.

“Youcef is improving. He works a lot. If you look at his goals, you see the aggression he has to be in the right place to score.

“He is a positive character with good spirit. He was rewarded for his efforts. The team allowed him to express himself and to show his talent.

“We were good in possession and that allowed us to be dangerous. What Atal has over the others is his desire to get into the box.”