Tottenham transfer news: Mauricio Pochettino says Spurs are unlikely to sign a striker despite Harry Kane injury
Pochettino's squad is seriously depleted with Kane, Son Heung-min, Moussa Sissoko, Lucas Moura all out of Sunday's squad
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Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane’s injury absence does not put pressure on his side to sign a striker in the January transfer window.
Kane has been ruled out until early March after suffering ankle ligament damage in Sunday’s loss to Manchester United.
And with Son Heung-Min away on international duty at the Asian Cup and Lucas Moura still struggling with a knee injury it leaves Spurs short up top.
They have been linked with a whole host of names, including free agent Giuseppe Rossi, but Pochettino says his transfer plans this month are not affected by Kane’s injury ahead of Sunday’s Premier League visit to Fulham.
“I think it’s not going to change our mind about the view of the squad,” he said. “Always we’re open to improving our squad, to adding players that can improve us.
“But I think that’s not going to put pressure on us to sign some players. We know very well the market now is so difficult, and the circumstance that we have.
“Of course, like always I tell you, if we identify the player that is going to help us and can add qualities that we don’t have in the squad, we’re more than open to trying [to make] that happen.
“But at the moment I think there’s not too many possibilities to add this type of player that can improve us.”
Rossi, 31, is a free agent and has been training with Manchester United to keep fit following his release by Genoa in the summer, but Pochettino said he will not be coming to north London.
“I think there’s many names that appear in every transfer window. He’s another name to add on the list but it’s only a rumour,” he revealed.
“We are not considering him. It’s a rumour like another but if you ask me, I think no, it’s not a possibility.”
Kane, who has suffered a similar sort of injury in each of the last two seasons before this one, has a history of returning quicker than predicted and has vowed to get back as soon as possible.
“I think he’s very positive,” Pochettino added. “Of course we are going to see, the time to recover and have the full recovery.
“But always it’s an easy thing with Harry because he’s a very positive person that in the moment he got injured started to think about his recovery as soon as possible.
“But of course it’s going to be an important player out for a time.
“He’s one of the best strikers or players in Europe or the world and always it’s going to affect the performance, but we think and we are in the same way, positive, that we can cope with the situation.
“We have enough players to cover that place and of course it’s not going to change our approach in the different games we’re going to play without him.”
Another player who will not be featuring at Craven Cottage on Sunday is midfielder Mousa Dembele, who left to join Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F on Thursday.
The 31-year-old joined Spurs from Fulham in 2012 and made 250 appearances, but had not played since November 3 due to an ankle injury.
Pochettino paid tribute to the Belgian’s time at the club.
“I think he is a player and a person that we are going to miss,” he said. “You know very well my feeling about him, he was one of the greatest players that I met in my career.
“Of course I wish him all the best, his wish was to move to China, his dream became a reality now. It was a pleasure to share with him an unbelievable time here in Tottenham.”
Moussa Sissoko has been ruled out for two weeks with a groin injury also picked up against United last weekend.
Fellow midfielder Eric Dier has returned to training after having his appendix removed but will not start in west London.
PA
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