BUYING LATE COST US TITLE Poch frustrated by transfer policy

MAURICIO Pochettino believes Tottenham’s transfer strategy has cost them a chance of challenging for the Premier League title this season.

Spurs concluded their business later than their top-six rivals — and spent less — and find themselves 18 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

Chairman Daniel Levy often leaves transfer business until the final days of the window and Pochettino believes this has proved costly.

Tottenham made five signings during the previous transfer window: Davinson Sanchez, Serge Aurier, Fernando Llorente, Juan Foyth and Paulo Gazzaniga. All of them arrived inside the final two weeks of the window.

City, in contrast, had all their new players on board before the start of the season, allowing them time to settle into their new surroundings.

Spurs go into today’s Wembley clash against Stoke outside the top four following a run of four Premier League games without victory.

Pochettino said: ‘This summer was a very good example because we signed good players, but it was so late and with no pre- season you pay.

‘You need then six or seven months for the player to be fit, adapt himself.

‘The most important thing is to identify our targets and on July 3, when we start our pre- season, they are here.

‘Because if we don’t, it’s so difficult it can affect the team. During the season you are going to pay.

‘We tried to do that in the summer but we could not, for different reasons. Now, we are going to try again to do early business.

‘City is a good example. We cannot compare ourselves with City because of the money, but with a different approach, different strategy, we need to do similar.’

Pochettino has revealed Tottenham are ready to ignore the winter transfer window, instead focusing their recruitment resources on the end of the season in a bid to avoid the same mistake.

‘It will be difficult in January, like always. It is so difficult to find the right player in this transfer window,’ he said.

‘To be more realistic, it’s so important to identify your targets for the summer.’

The Tottenham manager is also concerned that the World Cup will prove problematic for his summer recruitment if Spurs do not complete early business.

Pochettino added: ‘When it’s a World Cup year, we cannot wait because you need to do some business before.

‘You need to be clever because before the World Cup some players are maybe down here and after a good World Cup, they are up here and then you can forget it.

‘We are at a club that needs to anticipate. We cannot be reactive because if we are, we are going to lose.’