Thursday 3 August 2017 22:43, UK
Tottenham will not compete for the Premier League title unless they sign players to rival Harry Kane and Dele Alli, says Mauricio Pochettino.
Spurs are yet to bring in any signings this summer after finishing runners up to champions Chelsea last season, but have seen Kyle Walker leave for Manchester City - who finished third - for £50m.
Pochettino has already admitted Spurs cannot match the record fees being spent by the teams who finished around them in the 2016-17 campaign, but insists the performances of his side's best players will suffer if the club do not bring in players that can force them to raise their game.
"How have Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and different clubs tried to improve their season?" Pochettino said. "Bringing players and trying to put more pressure on their star players, their key 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.
"We understand that Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, (Eric) Dier, (Toby) Alderweireld are really good players. They want to win but need to feel the pressure a little bit to improve every season.
"If there's no competition in behind it's normal to drop your motivation, it's normal to drop everything that you do. And then it's difficult to win."
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has insisted the club will not sign a player this summer unless they are convinced he can make a difference to the squad, describing the £100m-plus spending from Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea as "totally unsustainable".
Spurs broke their own transfer record to sign Moussa Sissoko for £30m last year, who has so far started just eight Premier League games for the club, but Pochettino remains faithful to Levy's transfer policy.
"We are finding the balance because now is the moment to maybe refresh the team with some new faces - and it's sure that will happen," Pochettino added. "In three years, my experience with Daniel has always been trying to find a player to improve. The difference is were they the right or wrong signing?
"The problem is so clear. We are not a club today that can compete with Manchester United and City for a player. We cannot fight. We are in a different way.
"But the thing is Daniel is very keen to sign like me. These type of player we are talking about they are not easy to find."
