Tottenham: will Mauricio Pochettino miss out on new signings?

Tottenham are getting excited about moving to a shiny new stadium but the club’s lack of action in the transfer market this summer has left some supporters feeling a little deflated.

With nine days to go until the close of the summer transfer window, Spurs have yet to bring any new players to north London but boss Mauricio Pochettino says the club is “working on that”.

After finishing third in the Premier League last season, and securing Champions League football again, Pochettino said the club must take risks to improve, the BBC reports. But he now doesn’t know if any new players will arrive before the transfer deadline on 9 August.

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Spurs face Newcastle in their opening Premier League match on 11 August and Pochettino said: “I don’t know if we are going to sign or not. We’re working on that. I cannot tell you if we’re going to sign one, zero, two or three or four.

“We’re working. The transfer window is so close, but the club’s doing everything to help the team and add some players, more quality, and try to help us in the season to achieve what we want.”

Stars renew deals

One massive deal that Tottenham have secured this summer is Harry Kane signing a new long-term contract.

The England captain, who won the World Cup golden boot, penned a six-year deal at the start of June worth up to £200,000-a-week. The Guardian reports that the new Kane contract saw Spurs chairman Daniel Levy “dramatically raise the wage ceiling of the squad”.

Pochettino also signed a new five-year contract in May as the club worked hard to keep their prized assets. Winger Erik Lamela, defender Davinson Sanchez and midfielder Harry Winks have also committed for the long-term.

The Sun reported last month that Spurs were hopeful Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli would follow Kane’s lead.

Pochettino’s target list

Spurs may have failed to sign anyone so far, but this summer they’ve been linked with a host of players. These include Manchester United striker Anthony Martial, Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish and Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha.

According to France Football magazine, Valencia midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia is another target. Reports claim that Spurs have activated the £72m release clause in his contract.

A stunning move to bring Gareth Bale back to the club from Real Madrid was, however, played down by Pochettino who said it was “not realistic”.

Who could leave?

Just days after lifting the World Cup with France, Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had reportedly become Real Madrid’s No.1 summer transfer target. The Sun said that Real were “plotting a £60m bid” for the keeper.

Toby Alderweireld’s potential move to Manchester United has also failed to happen despite months of speculation in the tabloids. Strikers Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente could still depart before next week.

Sanchez: the target is to improve

Pochettino has led Spurs to three consecutive top-three finishes in the Premier League and Colombian defender Sanchez believes the target for the team – and himself – is to keep on improving.

He told the club’s website: “Last season was good but now... I love a big challenge. I want to get better, every season the target is to improve, to do more. It’s the same for the team and that’s about belief – belief in every game, playing well in every game.

“Teams raise their game against us because we are a team with a lot of quality and we need to be ready.”

Meanwhile Danish playmaker Eriksen hopes that Spurs can be inspired by this summer’s World Cup where nine of the club’s players reached the semi-finals with their countries.

Eriksen, who played for Denmark in the World Cup round of 16, told ESPN: “If you look at the number of players we had at the World Cup and showing who they are as players, it’s been a very successful thing.

“We had nine players in the semis. The World Cup is definitely a good place to show that when you’re at Tottenham you can be a top player.”

Levy can pull a rabbit out of the hat

The clock may be counting down to next week’s deadline but former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes that Spurs chairman Levy is working on some late deals.

Redknapp told talkSPORT: “Daniel tends to move at the very last minute; he’ll have a two-for-one deal, a buy-one-get-one-free or something. He does those deals sometimes.

“But he pulls off great deals, and I’m sure he’ll have one or two rabbits in the hat he’s waiting to pull out at the last minute.”

Spurs fans will be hoping Redknapp is right.