Mauricio Pochettino has suggested he is not in charge of deciding which players Tottenham are targeting in the transfer window.
Spurs are reportedly close to signing Leeds United teenager Jack Clarke and Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.
The duo will become Tottenham’s first acquisitions since Lucas Moura’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018.
Towards the end of last season, Pochettino urged the club to add to the squad this summer in order to consistently challenge for major trophies.
But speaking to Spanish radio station Catalunya Ràdio, the Argentinian made a surprise revelation about Spurs’ transfer strategy.
He said: “At Manchester City and Liverpool, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are free to decide which players they want and which they do not.
“On the other hand, at other clubs such as Tottenham, Chelsea or Arsenal, the configuration of the playing staff is not in the hands of the managers. The person who decides, in our case, is the president.”
Pochettino has never really gone into detail about how transfers work at Tottenham or why the club failed to make signings in the previous two windows.
When he says “president”, it’s likely he means chairman Daniel Levy, who is renowned for running a tight ship when it comes to finances.
That goes some way towards explaining why Spurs haven’t been buying new players, but it also suggests Pochettino isn’t pushing for additions in the way ex-managers such as Harry Redknapp clearly were.
Regardless, it looks as if Pochettino will have new signings to work with this summer, which can only be a good thing – even if they are not his personal targets.
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These next couple of transfer windows Spurs need to rubber stamp our dominance on Arsenal & Chelsea. Although Chelsea made the Champions League, having the transfer ban hanging over them will give Spurs the chance to strengthen and sign players without having them to deal with. As for Arsenal, no Champions League again will make it hard for them to sign the quality of player they need to break back into the top four. Levy needs to make the most of this situation and sign young world class quality players that will be with us for years to come and keep us in the position of not only being the pride of London but challenging for league titles & domestic trophies too. COYS !!
that has to be misquoted, There is no way Levy decides on his own and its well known that Poch is part of a “transfer committee” at Tottenham. A number of senior figures on the playing side and Levy decide who comes in.
The names of the players wanted are given by the manager to Levy, the financial director and a separate advisor (remember Comolli) who advises on the player, then after the cost of the player and his wages over the term of the contract are worked out Levy will put a bid in that he would call a starting position around which negotiations could be held. Levy has no football knowledge, what manager at the level that Pochettino is on would suffer what you suggest?
I got this information from a former director of the club who says Levy is a highly professional businessman with a reputation of being ruthless but fair.