Poch insists Brexit partly to blame for no new faces

Tottenham boss mauricio Pochettino insists the club have been ‘brave’ this summer despite ending the transfer window without a single new signing.

Spurs came closest to signing Jack Grealish from aston Villa, but the midlands club turned down a £25million bid, which was not increased as england’s transfer deadline passed yesterday evening.

It capped a summer of frustration in the transfer market, with Spurs unable to add to their squad.

In may, Pochettino appeared to challenge his chairman Daniel Levy to do more to make tottenham ‘competitive’.

he said: ‘Being brave is the most important thing and take risks. It’s a moment that the club needs to take risks and tries to work, if possible, harder than the previous season to be competitive again, because every season will be more difficult.’

the comments were widely perceived as a demand by Pochettino (pictured) for the club to invest more heavily in new players after the argentine achieved three consecutive top-four finishes with only a £50m net spend.

Yet tottenham instead became the first Premier League club to go through a transfer window without additions since its introduction in 2003.

Pochettino, however, launched an impassioned defence of his club’s policy, explaining that a ‘crazy market’, training ground refurbishments and spiralling stadium costs influenced by Brexit have stretched resources.

the Spurs boss also underlined the importance of his own decision to sign a new contract, while a new long-term deal has also been agreed with harry Kane this summer.

‘What the club is doing is showing it is so brave,’ said Pochettino. ‘Building a new training ground, finishing the Lodge this summer was a massive investment. Building a stadium that is nearly £1bn. that is true, don’t believe £400m — £1bn is the truth!

‘and then with Brexit it is worse because the cost is 30 per cent more. that is a drama too. I feel sorry for the english people.

‘then also we keep the best players. For me (that) is to be brave. of course maybe in the mind of everyone they will say: “oh tottenham didn’t sign anyone” but to sign for the sake of signing?’

Pochettino backtracked on his comments in may, suggesting they had been misinterpreted: ‘I am responsible for what I told you, but I cannot be responsible for what you believe that I wanted to tell you. our decision was not to sign, (even though) it is the fashion to sign or because we are the only club in europe that has not signed players. ‘that maybe looks bad because of the perception and because of the history of football, but that is our decision — to keep the best players and to keep the squad. It’s a brave decision.’ asked if his squad will understand the club’s approach not to reinforce, Pochettino said: ‘they don’t need to understand. they need to give their best. the people at tottenham who manage and decide and take the way to act is the board and is not the players.’

tottenham expected to offload Danny Rose, toby alderweireld and moussa Dembele, who only has a year left on his contract, at the start of the summer but have ultimately retained all three.

and Pochettino has warned the trio they must now buckle down.

‘If we have all the squad thinking as individuals rather than as a collective, you can’t succeed,’ he added.

‘that is the key this season. It is human nature that you always look after yourself. But once you cannot change anything, then you need to change your mindset and think about the team.

‘I am the boss and if I expect from you to do something, then you need to provide it. You need to show your commitment, from the pitch, from the bench, sometimes from outside. that’s what being professional means.

‘We are always open to finding the solution when it is possible. But when it is not possible, why create a problem that can only disturb or not help the club and team-mates?

‘If you don’t like your manager, in the moment you can kill your manager, then kill your manager.

‘But not when it is not possible, because then you are only damaging yourselves and then your company and the fans who pay your salary every month.’