Walker sale sends out message that all have their price
JOSE MOURINHO is supposed to be frustrated that he hasn’t been able to buy more players this summer, even though he’s just spent £75m on Romelu Lukaku.
Antonio Conte is apparently tearing his hair out because he didn’t get the Belgian and only two bigname newcomers have arrived.
Jurgen Klopp isn’t happy to have added just a couple of new faces, Arsene Wenger has only managed to get Alexandre Lacazette over the line and even Pep Guardiola was gutted by Dani Alves’ snub.
If those managers aren’t best pleased, spare a thought for Mauricio Pochettino.
Tottenham finished second last season and appeared a couple of decent buys away from being the best team in the country.
So have they added to the squad? No, they’ve not only weakened themselves by selling England rightback Kyle Walker to Manchester City, they’ve strengthened the team that finished just behind them.
It’s one of football’s oldest rules – ambitious clubs don’t sell good players to their closest rivals.
Sure £50m is decent money for Walker, and it’s likely to be re-invested. But that’s not the point.
This is the summer that Spurs should be pushing on. They need to signify their intent with some eyecatching recruitment. They have to splash the cash, not balance the books.
Over the last couple of years it seemed they’d ditched their reputation as a selling club, but the Walker deal sets back that progress.
It flags up to the rest that if enough money is offered, Chairman Daniel Levy will talk business.
So who’s next? Eric Dier? Dele Alli? The most-prized asset of all, Harry Kane?
And if Levy is willing to sell to City, then United, Chelsea, Liverpool and even Arsenal will be encouraged to try their luck at asset-stripping.
Pochettino has done a brilliant job at a club whose record transfer is just £30m and has a £100,000-a-week wage cap.
Half his team could earn more by moving, but he’s kept them on-side by the prospect of a first title since 1961 and regular Champions League football.
But with rivals spending big and a possibily problematic season at Wembley coming up, any loss of momentum would soon have his star players questioning their loyalty, and Pochettino questioning his own.
This is a crossroads summer for Spurs. A chance make a statement or revert to type.