Mauricio Pochettino has taken a dig at West Ham by claiming that he has never had a player who refused to play for the club. The London rivals were recently shocked when manager Slaven Bilic claimed that star midfielder Dimitri Payet was refusing to play for the club amidst a lot of interest from other clubs including Chelsea.
Signed from Marseille in the summer of 2015 for around £10 million, the Frenchman was a star performer for the club last season. This led to numerous offers in the summer, and they were instantly turned down by West Ham, who placed a £50 million valuation on the player. Payet has become the talking point of this Premier League weekend with West Ham suggesting that the player will not return to the starting line-up unless his attitude changes.
As quoted by The Evening Standard, Pochettino said:
“No, no, no. In my career, it’s never happened to me. It’s not my business.
“I cannot give you an opinion. What happens at West Ham is West Ham’s problem.”
Pochettino says that he has never been in such a scenario, although he may not have been exposed to such an event due to his lack of experience. The Argentine has been in management only since 2009 and he has been in charge of only three clubs. Spurs are not new to this situation and they have seen plenty of the same during the last decade.
Players like Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric would instantly spring to mind. The former moved to Manchester United in a £30 million deal after going on strike. Even though Modric is not adapt the extreme step, he did force his £30 million move to Real Madrid. At a time when player power is at its peak, Pochettino will find it difficult to avoid such a scenario in the near future. One possible reason for Spurs to escape from such a situation may be the club’s incredible project and the way it has been shaping in the last few years.
Since the appointment of Pochettino, the club have not only become contenders for the top four but realistic title contenders. Players have tried to leave clubs only in the hunt for trophies with only a minor section opting for earning more money instead. As a result, the recent successes achieved by Spurs will certainly hold them in good stead when it comes to keeping some of the best players at the club.
Despite the recent good form, Spurs players like Dele Alli and Harry Kane have been linked with a move away from the club. The former has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and Paris St Germain, while United have long held an interest in Kane.
