Pochettino: Spurs 'working hard' to sign players amid Rose unrest
Mauricio Pochettino attempted to allay fears that Tottenham Hotspur is being overpowered in the transfer window on Thursday by asserting he and the club are "working hard to deliver our plan."
Spurs' lack of business this summer was exposed by Danny Rose's interview with The Sun's Dave Kidd that was published on Wednesday night. The Doncaster-born left-back confessed to wanting a move back to north England before his career's done, but most critically revealed an admiration for Chelsea and Manchester City's squad depth, while saying Spurs only sign "players you have to Google."
Related - Tottenham's Rose demands signings: 'Not players you have to Google'
"It's not easy to find the right profile but I'm sure we'll add some players in the next few weeks," Pochettino told BBC Radio 5 live in response to Rose's criticism.
The Argentinian manager added that Spurs' "circumstances are different to other clubs."
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Tottenham is yet to sign a player in the summer window, but Rose has seen Kyle Walker, a fellow full-back and Yorkshireman, join Pep Guardiola's revolution at Manchester City. Nabil Bentaleb, Clinton Njie, and Federico Fazio have also moved away permanently after being loaned out in the previous term.
Spurs' frugality in the close season is not just down to chairman Daniel Levy's alleged shrewd practices. The club is currently covering costs for the part-demolition of White Hart Lane to make room for a new 61,000-seater stadium that can stage NFL games, so it's more focused on retaining young talent than splurging sums similar to the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea.
These practices are evident from the fact that only backup goalkeeper Michel Vorm, 30-year-old first-team regulars Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele, and youngster Cameron Carter-Vickers have contracts with expire within two years. Prized assets Harry Kane and Dele Alli, meanwhile, have terms which run until 2022.
It's unlikely that Pochettino will welcome new recruits to north London before the club's season begins. Spurs face Newcastle United in an appetising clash at St James' Park on Sunday.