Pochettino: Kane put Morata off Spurs
Print Edition
NEW Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata turned down a move to Tottenham Hotspur because he feared the competition from striker Harry Kane, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed.
Morata, 24, joined the English Premier League champion from Real Madrid last month for a reported fee of 58 million pounds (US$76.8 million).
Pochettino spoke to Morata about a move to Spurs two years ago and said the Spain international was deterred by the presence of the prolific Kane at White Hart Lane.
“Morata talked about myself, in the media he said: ‘Mauricio called me.’ That was two years ago or more,” Pochettino said, in comments published by several British newspapers yesterday.
“He said to me: ‘Why do you want me if you have Harry Kane?’”
Unlike their EPL rivals, Spurs are yet to make a significant close-season signing and the new campaign is just over a week away.
Spurs have mounted stirring title challenges in both of the past two campaigns and Pochettino said the strength of his first XI was deterring potential new recruits.
“You know, if you go to try to sign a striker, they will say: ‘Eh gaffer, you want me for what? To be on the bench?’ I can’t compete with Harry Kane or Hugo Lloris or different players,’” he said. “It’s so difficult to convince good players to come and then be on the bench. Then the problems start.”
But he insisted the failure to recruit quality signings that will help increase competition within the squad could leave Spurs struggling to end their trophy drought.
Tottenham is the only EPL side yet to add to its squad in the close season, while its England international right back Kyle Walker has departed for rival Manchester City.
All the teams expected to challenge Tottenham for silverware have strengthened and Pochettino said his hopes of ending the club’s nine-year wait for a trophy relied on increasing competition within the ranks.
“How have Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and different clubs tried to improve their season?” the Argentine told British media. “Bringing players and trying to put more pressure on their star players — and for us we need to do that too.
“Right, now (I hear) we need to win some trophies, no? That is good, the pressure. I think it’s important to understand now that we need to be clever how we manage the expectation and how we need to put pressure on our own players.”
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