Poch: 'We're working on a few options in the market'

Tottenham are working on "a few options" in the transfer market, Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed.  Spurs did not bring in any reinforcements in the previous window and have yet to make any new additions this month, despite seeing Mousa Dembele depart for Guangzhou R&F.  The need to bolster the squad has been laid bare by the losses of Harry Kane and Dele Alli to injury and Son Heung-min to Asian Cup duty, with the trio all missing as Spurs lost to Chelsea on penalties in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Thursday. 

Pochettino, who was in something of a terse mood with the media on Friday, insists he remains open to making new signings before the window closes next week. "We are working," he told a news conference ahead of Spurs' FA Cup fourth-round clash with Crystal Palace. "There are a few options. We will see if we are capable to deliver [on] it. Now, we have a space with [Mousa] Dembele gone.

 

25 January 2019

"I am more than open to improve and to add players to the squad. You can find on the internet or my previous press conferences that I always say the same thing. If we can find the right player that is going to help us improve, then we will... but we were never close. There is always a chance. We have still seven days [of the transfer window].

"It looks weird if you don't spend money, but it's not because we don't want to, but because for different circumstances we can't sign."

Pochettino admits his players are tired and not in the most positive of moods given their loss to Chelsea, but he is confident they will be ready for Sunday's trip to Selhurst Park.

"The mood is not great. It's difficult to sleep after games, especially when you lose. Today is sad; we are all tired. We will be in a good position for Sunday," he said. The Spurs boss also bristled at the suggestion his team needs a stronger winning mentality if they are to win trophies, insisting: "I think we show in these two legs the right mentality. We compete with all the circumstances. That is the key point. If football is a fair sport, it will reward us at the end of the season."