Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed that his side are fully focussed on their clash against Sheffield United and that he isn’t taking notice at the speculation surrounding his players.
After Pochettino took over in the summer, he has preferred playing the likes of Benjamin Stambouli, Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason ahead of established names like Mousa Dembele, Paulinho and Etienne Capoue which has led to rumours that few of the star names could leave after just one season at the club. However, Pochettino said ahead of their clash on Wednesday that the transfer window matters will come only after their clash against Sheffield United.
The Argentine said, “There are a lot of rumours in this period, but we are focused on the semi-final. We have one week left until the transfer window closes.
“Maybe something happens but the most important game so far for us is the game on Wednesday. Every situation is different in this window. I am happy with all [the players] but we have to analyse every situation and see what happens.
“We have a lot of players linked with us and we are now focused on the game and after that we will have time to speak about different movements.
Of the players linked with an exit, Capoue could leave as soon as next week after making just one appearance in the last 11 Premier League games. The former Toulouse man has never really shone for Tottenham despite showing some promise in the opening few games playing as a defensive midfielder and even center back at times. Capoue appeared in the first 11 games for Tottenham, but his form started to deteriorate after the first two months. As a result, Pochettino went with the academy players Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb who impressed and were subsequently handed regular first team spots in the last one and half months or so. Tottenham have made good progress since the change of personnel which could mean that Capoue’s days at White Hart Lane could be over.
Reports indicate that Spanish side Rel Sociedad are interested in a move for the 26-year old and he could cost somewhere around a 9m based on his market value. The Frenchman still has more than two years remaining on his contract but could move before the window closes after falling down the pecking order. With the Euros coming up next year, Capoue will want to play regular football if he wants to get close to a spot in the French squad.