Tottenham have yet to sign a new player this summer due a ‘clear philosophy and plan’ that is being stuck to, manager Mauricio Pochettino has said.
The north Londoners have kept quiet through the summer window while title rivals such as Manchester United and Chelsea have spent more than £100m on new signings.
Tottenham ’s transfer business has been limited to the selling of Kyle Walker to Manchester City in a £50m deal and Josh Onomah’s loan move to Aston Villa.
Although Tottenham have come under scrutiny for their cautious approach to the transfer window, Pochettino has insisted that now is not the time to panic as he sought to explain his side’s lack of summer business.
“It is so difficult when you have a very good team and at a club like Tottenham you have a very clear philosophy and a plan that you want to follow,” the Argetine said.
“It is not easy to find right footballer. I think we are working and we’ll add some players to the end of the transfer window.
“We need to bring some new energy and strengthen our squad. I think everyone knows that – and first of all our chairman, Daniel [Levy], knows that.
“He’s working hard with the chief scout Steve [Hitchen] and we are working hard too to deliver it and to add and strengthen to the team that we need to fight for competitions next season.”
This follows his own admission that the club are looking to secure “a few signings” before the transfer window closes in August.
“We are working, trying to add some players to the squad,” he said after the 2-0 win over Juventus.
“Our idea was, the same as before, to try to provide the team with more strength and try to sign a few players before the end of the transfer window.”
Tottenham have been linked with a move for the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Ross Barkley and Jeremy Toljan but such deals have to yet to materialise.
Pochettino also explained his decision to send Onomah out on loan to Villa, who he believes will benefit from the opportunity to develop with the Championship side.
“He needs to prove himself that he can play,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for him now at Aston Villa to prove himself and prove to everyone that he is a player that can learn and improve and will be useful for Tottenham.
Chelsea captain Gary Cahill has admitted that the inevitable departure of star striker Diego Costa will be a big miss for the Premier League champions, and has concerns over the depth of the Blues’ squad
As reported by The Sun, the former Bolton defender is worried by the size of the squad, as Chelsea look to compete on four fronts this season following their return to the Champions League, but is equally as worried by the loss of Costa.
The Blues’ top scorer in the Premier League last season with 20 goals looks certain to depart Stamford Bridge this summer, after reportedly being told by boss Antonio Conte that he is not a part of his plans following the pair’s fall out last season.
Cahill said: “As a player, he will be missed. Diego Costa is Diego Costa, he scores goals, he’s an animated character and he is a big personality.
“He will be a big miss, we obviously added to the squad with Alvaro (Morata) and that is a great addition to the squad, but you are always going to miss big players.”
Following an indifferent summer for Chelsea, in which Conte has reportedly failed to sign some of his key targets such as Juventus’ Alex Sandro, the champions have been left with just 14 senior outfield players to choose from for their season opener against Burnley this Sunday.
Despite the additions of Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Willy Caballero, the loss of midfield enforcer Nemanja Matic to rivals Manchester United and the looming exit of Costa has got Chelsea fans worried, as well as Cahill.
The England defender said: “Maybe I’m talking out of turn, I would have thought so but there is no getting away from the fact that if you look at the back of the programme from the weekend (the squad is small).
“In terms of quality, we certainly have the quality, you saw that last season, but again there’s no way of getting around it that we have to keep players fit because at the minute the squad is not as big as other squads.,claims Cahill.
“That’s vitally important for us and we will have to see how that plays out.”
Nigeria international midfielder Mikel Agu has joined Turkish Super Lig club Bursaspor on a season-long loan from FC Porto.
The doctor portrayed by Will Smith in the film ‘Concussion’ has told parents to ask themselves: ‘Do I love rugby more than I love my child?’
Alex Nwora has been confirmed as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s D’Tigers ahead of the 2017 AfroBasket Championship.
A month ago, Floyd Mayweather was polite enough to offer Conor McGregor a choice for their fight on 26 August in Las Vegas.
“We know Mr Tapout like to quit and you will,” Mayweather said of the Irishman. “You going out on your face or you going out on your back. Which way you want to go? Which way do you wanna go?”
In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, the former boxing world champion conceded that his opponent, a UFC fighter with no professional boxing experience, has a chance.
“I’m not the same fighter I was two years ago. I’m not the same fighter I was five years ago. I lost a step,” said the 40-year-old Mayweather. “A fighter like Andre Berto isn’t even supposed to go the distance with Floyd Mayweather, but remember, I was 38. It’s obvious I’m slipping a little bit to even let a fighter like that go the distance with me.
Few believe that McGregor can beat one of the greatest boxers of all time, and there have been reports that tickets sales for the fight have been slow. So perhaps it was with half an eye on his bank account that Mayweather said he believes his opponent has the edge on paper.
“He’s a lot younger. When you look at myself and Conor McGregor on paper, he’s taller [McGregor is an inch taller], has a longer reach, he’s a bigger man from top to bottom. He’s a lot younger, so youth is on his side,” Mayweather said of his 29-year-old opponent. “And I’ve been off a couple of years. And I’m in my 40s. So, if you look at everything on paper, it leans toward Conor McGregor.”
McGregor is known for his aggression as an MMA fighter – he once knocked out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds – and Mayweather conceded his own days as a heavy puncher have gone. “I used to have a 90% knockout ratio,” Mayweather said. “It’s obvious I slipped somewhere. Something has taken a toll on my career.”
It’s conceivable that McGregor, fighting against possibly the greatest defensive boxer of all time, could fail to land any significant blows on the American when they meet in Las Vegas. But Mayweather, whose superfight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015 often resembled two men trying not to hit each other, says he will go after McGregor.
“This can’t be a defensive fight. I have to go to him,” Mayweather said of McGregor. “I owe the public because of the Pacquiao fight. They weren’t pleased with that. They’re gonna be pleased with this fight here.
Mayweather is currently 1-5 to beat McGregor with bookmakers, with the Irishman listed at 4-1.
2014 African Nations Championship star, Ejike Uzoenyi has signed a four-year deal with PSL club, Ajax Cape Town the club has announced.
President of the Rugby Africa, also known as Rugby Afrique Mr Abdulazeez Bougja made the comments while speaking with the radio anchor, Anthony Bekederemo on Center circle airing on the sports Radio, 88.9 Brila fm.
Bougja, had maintained during the show that the crisis rocking the Nigeria Rugby union should be resolved by and means, calling on every member of the committee, and members of the sports ministry to come together and sit in a bid to resolving the crisis.
In his words “we sent a representative to the first AGM in Abuja, but there were confusions between the Rugby union and the sports ministry, we just need them to come together and find a lasting solution for the youth and i believe the sports can still be run in Nigeria under a very good condition.
I majorly think the issues behind the scene is about the legacies, the rules and following these rules. They should just find a solution and ensure the coming election is conducted under the spirit of Democracy, as that will be a way to be recognized on the international scene.
The Africa Rugby Chief, also stressed that should the situation lingers, as the Africa organization doesn’t know or recognize any President of Rugby in Nigeria, the union will definitely have a system in place to suspend the Country.
Bougja further elucidate on the recent achievements and heights reached by the Rugby body in Africa, from introducing the U-20, ladies, the Gold cup, bronze cup and the silver cup”.
He also emphasized on the recent TV rights contract signed by the organization which would last for five years, meaning all the Africa Rugby games are now on TV, and the sport now have over a million and half players as compared to the seven hundred thousand in the last ten years.
The Morocoan, later play down the idea of the African body sending down some representatives to help solve the crisis rocking the Nigeria rugby association, He said the crisis is internal and there wont be any need for intruding into the internal affair.
Abdulazeez Bougja, later greeted Nigerians in Arabic as today is Languages day at the sports radio, 88.9 Brila fm today.
Alexis Sanchez has been ruled out of Arsenal’s 2017/18 curtain raiser with Leicester City after he suffered an abdominal strain in training.
Newer Posts