It was January of 2019, when Mauricio Pochettino made it abundantly clear that Tottenham needed to spend more heavily if they wanted to compete for the biggest titles on offer.
“At the moment we operate in the same way as we operated in five years ago when we arrived. But if after we want to win titles we need to operate in a different way. The other day I saw a stat that in the last 10 years in England and in Europe how the teams were spending money, and I think we were on the bottom, in England and Europe. Of course we’re doing a fantastic job but if we want to be real contenders we need to operate in a different way in the future.”
Fast forward a year and a couple of months later, and of course, Pochettino is no longer the man in the Spurs dugout. That honour goes to Jose Mourinho, who has historically been at clubs who have splashed the cash – you only have to look at the signings of the likes of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku at Manchester United to see that.
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But what Pochettino was suggesting, is that Spurs currently have a major dilemma on their hands. To compete with the best, they desperately need new signings and big money being spent. Otherwise they risk simply coasting, or even slipping backwards.
And that is exactly why the recent reports surrounding the north London side’s talisman, Harry Kane, is particularly worrying. There are suggestions that the England international would consider a move to Old Trafford this summer, “as he would prefer not to stay at Spurs while they undergo an extensive rebuild”.
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The 26-year-old is the undisputed star for the Lilywhites, a player who fans proudly claim as ‘one of their own’. And when you look at his eye-watering goal-record, it is easy to see why he is heralded as a world-class player. In 278 games for the club, he has smashed in 181, whilst he has also provided 30 assists too.
The £135m-rated star represents the beacon of hope that Spurs can achieve great things. Teammates no doubt look to him as a source of inspiration, whilst transfer targets may also view him as the player who legitimises the north London side as a genuine destination.
Losing him could spark a domino effect whereby some other key players follow suit, and also head for the exits. After all, what kind of ambition would be shown if the club’s big star is allowed to leave? A mass exodus would set Spurs on their way to a downward spiral, with potential signings also taking a step back before thinking about joining them.
Spurs have arrived at a crossroads. Get it wrong, and they could be staring down the barrel of years of yet more misery.
Meanwhile, this man’s exit is yet another mess created by Daniel Levy.
