Every ambitious project needs a leader to match. That is why Mauricio Pochettino’s remarks about his future over the weekend were even more significant for Tottenham than the farewell to White Hart Lane.
For the second successive season, Pochettino has helped Tottenham record their highest finish in the Premier League era. That is why he is a wanted man across Europe, with Inter Milan — now under new ownership — the latest club to add the Argentine to their list.
Pochettino is a professional and usually dismisses such interest as “rumours”. He was under no pressure to be frank about his future. Yet Pochettino was unequivocal. “When I signed here I understood the project of [chairman] Daniel Levy; the Tottenham project. We agreed we are not using Tottenham as a platform to sell ourselves.
“And we have showed from day one we wanted to work in this project and we believed in this project. It’s important to be honest with the person that signed you three years ago and invited you to a good project that you agreed to. It is important to be loyal and work together to reach the next level.”
All the parades in the world would mean little if Tottenham’s manager was not convinced about the future, so Pochettino has sent an important signal. He knows Spurs do not spend the same on wages and transfers as their top six rivals. He knows these rivals will spend again, heavily, during the summer. He knows that Tottenham’s £800m stadium project is likely to restrict movement in other areas.
Yet still, he says he wants to stay. The Argentine is under contract until 2021, so Spurs are in a strong position — but they know Pochettino’s importance. They know many of their players, who are paid less than counterparts at clubs who have been inferior this season, feel a huge sense of loyalty towards Pochettino.
He is the glue that holds everything together. If he intends to stay for a long time, those bonds will only strengthen.
