Mauricio Pochettino is planning to take an axe to his Tottenham Hotspur squad after their disastrous start to the season.
Ninth in the Premier League, knocked out of the Carabao Cup by lowly Colchester and annihilated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Spurs are going through what The Times describes as a “turbulent” period.
But contrary to some media reports, Pochettino has no intention of quitting the club but instead will embark on a significant clear-out in the new year.
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Dier and Rose out
Among the players who will be shown the door are England midfielder Eric Dier, and his international team-mate Danny Rose.
Left-back Rose was linked with a move away from the Lilywhites and although he stayed put his days at the club are numbered.
Christian Eriksen, Serge Aurier and Victor Wanyama will also be put on the market, as they should have been in the summer, says the Times.
According to the paper, “the negative atmosphere at the club has partly stemmed from players finding out that they were not wanted, but then not sold”.
Eriksen denies unrest
However, the paper quotes Eriksen as denying that claim, the Danish midfielder insisting that the parlous future of several players has not affected the squad’s on-field performances.
“It doesn’t matter at all,” he said. “Everyone is professional and in all clubs there is talk of players going away. That has no bearing on how we have performed this season.”
Summit meeting
According to the Times Pochettino’s own position is secure “and his relationship with Daniel Levy, the chairman, has not been affected by the poor run of results”.
The pair will sit down to discuss the situation when Pochettino returns from Qatar, where he addressed the Aspire Global Summit on Monday.
“We maintain a very good relationship and it is extraordinary to have that support,” Pochettino said of chairman Levy. “I have always told him that in addition to my president, I consider him a friend.”
Lloris out till 2020
Meanwhile, Pochettino learned on Monday that he will be without goalkeeper Hugo Lloris until the new year.
The French gloveman dislocated his elbow during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Brighton, and the club disclosed the extent of the injury in a press statement.
“Although surgery will not be required, our club captain has suffered ligament damage and is not expected to return to training before the end of 2019,” said the statement. “Hugo is currently in a brace and will now undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation.”
