Mauricio Pochettino says he has no idea whether Christian Eriksen is staying with Tottenham as the European transfer deadline fast approaches. Speaking after Sunday’s shock 1-0 loss against Newcastle, Pochettino says his squad is the most unsettled it has ever been in his five years in charge of Tottenham and he still does not know whether Eriksen will stay or go.
The futures of a number of his players – notably Eriksen – remain in doubt with just over a week before the European transfer window closes.
The Dane, who was on the bench for the 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle, has said he wants to leave and his situation is most unclear, with the club likely to sell if a big enough offer comes in.
Real Madrid have been heavily linked and are still in the hunt for a new midfielder. Reports are rife a fresh move could be on the cards.
Elsewhere, Jan Vertonghen, is in the final year of his contract, and has not played at all this season while Toby Alderweireld is also a free agent in the summer. Danny Rose was told he could find himself a new club before the campaign began and Victor Wanyama has been linked with a move to Belgium.
It has left Pochettino complaining of it causing a “mess” at his club as he counts down until September 2. “You know very well and I told you in pre-season, before (the first game against) Aston Villa, after Aston Villa, positive result or negative result, the group is still unsettled,” he said. “We need to find solutions.
We have one week more to wait and see what happens in the last 10 days. “I think this is my sixth season and the most unsettled group we are working with. That is why we are relaxed and calm. Some situations we cannot fix. Nothing to say about that, situations that are going on in the squad. Still we need to wait.”
Pochettino was evasive when asked whether Eriksen was left on the bench because his departure is imminent, but seems to be in the dark regards the player’s future. “I don’t know. I don’t know. Why you ask me? Maybe you know something,” he added. “It’s so difficult, the situation. We cannot blame one party or another. That is the situation, the circumstances.
“We arrive today with different players and different situations in the squad but I don’t want to justify our performance because of that. I want to make clear the point. When you play football and are on the pitch, you don’t think about these situations.”
