Tottenham Hotspur famously became the first ever Premier League side not to sign a single new player in a summer transfer window in 2018.
They later extended this record to a whole season after remaining signing-less in the winter window too, and have now gone around 15 months without any new faces.
Lucas Moura is still the new boy in North London, despite having joined way back in January 2018.
However, Tottenham also managed to keep every single first team player through the summer of 2018, despite many of them impressing at the World Cup in Russia.
Kane won the golden boot, Trippier was outstanding, Eriksen dragged Denmark through the group stages, Vertonghen and Alderweireld were rocks, and Lloris even lifted the trophy.
However, in a worrying interview, Pochettino has now revealed that multiple Spurs players requested to leave the club in the summer.
He obviously does not name the stars, but it is not what Spurs fans will want to hear ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
MORE SPURS STORIES
Poch said (El Pais): “There were various players that wanted to leave the club last summer.
“During the World Cup, some of them called me and told me, ‘Coach, if this or that team want me, I will leave’. I told them to speak to the president, and they always said that they wanted to let me know first, ‘I am only telling you because, for me, it is exciting to play for this or that club.’
“But I always told the president not to trust any player that openly said that they wanted to stay, because the one that wants to leave will do it because he is ambitious and wants to win titles. And that is the type of players that Tottenham needs, the type of players that will always give 100 per cent.
“When the pre-season ended, the transfer window was closed and not a single player had arrived nor left, we all sat down for a meeting. We did not have many possibilities to choose from, either we started from scratch or we carried on as we did in the last two years.
“Me and the staff we were honest, ‘Guys, all of you wanted out, but I promise to only judge you from now on.
“’I am not going to take into account if you called me to let me know you wanted to leave, if you did not play last season or if you behaved badly. I don’t give a s*** about what happened. Only players who deserve it will play.’”
Spurs Web Opinion:
This is a very strange and very worrying interview for Pochettino to give just before the transfer window. IT also sets the mind racing, as the players could have been Eriksen and Alderweireld, or they may have been Janssen and N’Koudou. It is impossible to tell how major the stars were. If Spurs are to finish another season without a trophy, we may just see who these wantaway players are through the summer. Let’s just hope Spurs get good money for anyone who wants to leave, and bring in some quality young replacements.
Check out our Champions League Live Blog: Ajax vs Tottenham Hotspur
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
