Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino fears changing Premier League transfer deadline could cause problems
Pochettino believes closing the transfer window early in England while it remained open in Spain would leave most Premier League clubs vulnerable to unwanted approaches
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Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino fears moving the Premier League transfer deadline to before the start of next season could cause big problems.
Spurs have always had to live with the fact that the rise of Harry Kane and Dele Alli from young hopefuls to England stars has seen them coveted by financially-powerful rivals across Europe.
And Pochettino argued that closing the transfer window early in England while it remained open in Spain would leave most Premier League clubs vulnerable to unwanted approaches. A sale would have to be agreed without the prospect of a replacement arriving until the next window, or a potentially unsettled player kept on.
Liverpool saw Philippe Coutinho move to Barcelona in January, with Southampton's Virgil van Dijk already having arrived at Anfield. Both transfers had been blocked during the previous transfer window, despite the players' wishes to leave.
"We will see how it works but you have the risk that things will happen and it will be difficult for you to react," Pochettino said.
"Coutinho was fantastic; for Southampton it was a massive problem with Van Dijk. I don’t say that is a good example, but if some big club is going to try to somebody from our club it is how you manage the situation.
"If this club want to buy this player, and you are not allowing him to go, how will he be on a mental level and it is a situation which for sure in the next few years we need to fix. We need to have Europe with the same deadline."
Pochettino also has one eye on Alli's off-field activities, with the midfielder having just launched a range of clothing online.
"If the balance is good, it is not a problem, for sure. If the priority becomes more business than football, I would be concerned he should be, too, because that would be a massive problem."
Pochettino is also frustrated by the perception that Tottenham are not a successful club because they have not won a trophy in a decade.
The Argentinian argues otherwise but admits the lack of anything tangible to celebrate was on his mind.
"In the last three years we achieved the massive, massive thing to play Champions League but we never celebrate," he said.
"At (former club) Southampton we avoided relegation and then we finished eighth and we had an unbelievable party - my wife was so unhappy because I was dancing.
"But at Tottenham we have the feeling that it is never enough. It is a little bit strange that always the feeling is not great.
"I remember first season we finished fifth and always it was fighting, fighting, fighting. Fifth is okay, but it is not enough.
"And then the second season we finished third because we lost the possibility to win the league. The feeling was so bad.
"Last season, we finished second but not enough because we don’t win the Premier League. And this season, again.
"I think it is not the only thing in football to win titles."
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