Tottenham releases statement defending its summer transfer activity
After missing out on several transfer targets, notably West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino and Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama, and leaving its strikeforce looking threadbare, Tottenham Hotspur has tried to ease tension with fans by telling them it was a successful summer of moves.
Chairman Daniel Levy has especially come under scrutiny from the White Hart Lane faithful, but stressed that he had delivered in strengthening the areas that manager Mauricio Pochettino identified, and got rid of unwanted players.
He told the club website:
That meant reducing the squad number, improving the team defensively, and adding exciting attacking forwards. It also meant that if we couldn't secure the few key targets we wanted, we wouldn't just add others. And we needed to keep the space for our current players to flourish.
Harry Kane certainly has plenty of space as the only recognised striker in the squad. Tottenham failed in selling Emmanuel Adebayor, who will continue to receive £100-thousand-a-week despite not playing, while new signings Heung-Min Son and Clinton Njie are not out-and-out centre-forwards.
Pochettino responded to this criticism:
Much has been said about us only having one recognised striker in Harry - I don't accept this at all - the positional play of today's forwards means it's too simplistic to look for goals from any one position - playing a fluid style means players switch. Also we secured Sonny and Clinton in the knowledge that we may not be adding any other forward.
Levy concluded the statement by claiming that his club never talks about other team's players, despite last week Pochettino comparing Tottenham's pursuit of Berahino to a frustrated love affair, and insisting that he has no regrets in losing out on its late summer targets.
"I make no apologies for being ambitious for our Club and looking to deliver future success for our fans."
There is a difference between "looking" to deliver and actually delivering, many fans will point out.
Tottenham makes the trip to Sunderland in its next Premier League fixture on September 13.