Tottenham banking on ‘their big potential’ to beat big-spenders to Champions League, admits Mauricio Pochettino

Going places: 19-year-old midfielder Dele Alli is one of Tottenham’s stars of the future
Tom Collomosse14 August 2015

Mauricio Pochettino admits Tottenham must gamble on potential to try to reach the Champions League rather than trying to buy proven players.

Many of Spurs’ main rivals for the top four have invested heavily this summer as they try to secure a place in Europe’s most lucrative competition.

Tottenham embarked on a similar spree in the summer of 2013, spending more than £100million on seven players after selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world-record £86m.

Yet it did not bring a place in the Champions League and Spurs now have to cut their cloth.

Asked by Standard Sport whether Spurs were able to target stars of the future rather than top names, Pochettino said: “Yes, maybe yes. I think this is correct but the challenge for me is exciting. This is my job and I always try to enjoy it. We have many talents in the academy. You can see the performances in the week before last in the Audi Cup in Munich, from players like Luke McGee, Harry Winks, Dele Alli, Josh Onomah and Tom Carroll.

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“It was a shame that [young playmaker] Alex Pritchard was injured all pre-season and did not play but we have big talent, big potential for the future.”

Tottenham have added three defenders — Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Kevin Wimmer — during the summer and Pochettino would like to add at least one more striker, as well as a central midfielder, before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Clinton N’Jie, the 21-year-old Lyon attacker, is a principal transfer objective.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

For a side competing for the top four, Spurs have a very young squad and Pochettino admitted he would like a little more know-how in the group.

He added: “We need to add some players with more experience to try to help the team achieve important things, like — maybe — the top four.”

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