Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted multiple times that it was a mistake for the Premier League clubs to agree to shut the transfer window in England before it closes in the rest of Europe (Sky Sports).
The Argentine reiterated after the hard-fought draw against Manchester City last week that the club are facing difficult circumstances at the moment, with the futures of several stars still unclear (Sky Sports).
Pochettino revealed during the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Newcastle that he and Daniel Levy agree that a club like Spurs must not have to face this kind of situation.
When asked if players who have one year left on their contracts are trying to orchestrate moves away, the Argentine told Football.London, “Yes. It’s a little bit [like that]. Yesterday, I was talking with Daniel and he recognised with me, it’s not in a good place, teams like us, clubs like us.”
The player whose future has been subject to most speculation over the summer is Christian Eriksen.
The Dane has stayed put so far but reports suggest that he could still leave the club before the European transfer window shuts on September 2nd (Daily Mail).
While Pochettino admitted that it was not an easy situation for the 27-year-old, he insisted that Eriksen’s is not letting himself get distracted from the task at hand.
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Pochettino said, “I always tell the player to not be affected by the rumours. In this situation, there is nothing to say, because still, we have one more year on his contract. It’s not the best situation for him, for everyone.
“He’s acting naturally. You cannot put a finger on the problem. You need to try to help. I understand the club, I understand the player.
“You try to minimalise the problem, try to treat the situation. This is an important player who needs to help the team with his performances to get positive results.
“It’s not easy. Because of rumours, things happen around you but Christian has a personality and a character that means he’s involved, and he’s not affected by the rumours or situation surrounding him.”
The Argentine, however, admitted that he would be open to letting the former Ajax man leave in case he does not put pen to paper on a new deal.
He added, “We’ll see what happens. There are still a few weeks. Of course it is not the good situation, you know? It is not what I think the club or the player expected it to be. A difficult situation for both sides.
“Always I am open to help the club and to help the decision of Daniel. Of course, my door is always open for him to come and to ask or to help in the decision,” admitted Pochettino.
“I know really well that decisions like this are not easy but I always try to be in the position to take the best benefit for the club. And of course for the player too, because it’s two interests, we can not be on one side or the other. The most important thing is to try to take the best decision for both sides.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Based on Pochettino’s comments, it looks extremely likely that Eriksen will leave the club before the close of the European transfer window. We at Spurs Web believe that would be a major blow for Spurs hopes of competing with last season’s top 2. If Eriksen does leave, Tottenham must act swiftly in Januray to bring in a star-studded replacement.
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