Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose transfer distractions have affected Tottenham’s preparations, admits Mauricio Pochettino

Speculation: Toby Alderweireld was widely expected to join Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP10 August 2018

Preparing Tottenham's losing World Cup semi-finalists for the new season has been made even tougher by a summer of transfer speculation, according to Mauricio Pochettino, who says Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose were particularly distracted.

Spurs' eight losing semi-finalists from England and Belgium have had just five days' training ahead of Saturday's Premier League opener at Newcastle and – while Harry Kane and Dele Alli are expected to start – Pochettino believes it could be several weeks before others are ready to play.

Not only must the Spurs manager prepare them physically for a new campaign and lift them mentally from such significant defeats in Russia, in the cases of Alderweireld, Rose and Mousa Dembele, he faces the challenge of refocussing them amid an ongoing swirl of transfer speculation.

Although the trio failed to secure moves before Thursday's English transfer deadline, they could yet join a European club before the end of the month – and Rose remains in talks with Bundesliga runners-up Schalke about a loan deal.

"They are all in different places mentally," Pochettino said. "There's a lot of rumours and, if you appear on the TV and in the media, it's impossible not to be affected. You don't know what's true or not true. What's real or not. The gaffer said that or not? The gaffer thinks this, or not?

"Players like Toby or Danny Rose called me all the way through the World Cup and [this week] we were talking. That situation is maybe different from that of Hugo Lloris. Of course they're at a different level. We need to deal with that and help the players to be in very good shape to help the team.

"But I am not worried whether it's this week or next week or maybe the week after. The season is so long, there's a lot of games to play and I hope that all will be fit and help the team."

As well as Rose, Tottenham still hope to offload Vincent Janssen, while they would consider offers for Fernando Llorente and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, with too many foreign players currently in Pochettino's squad.

Spurs are the first Premier League club since the introduction of the transfer window in 2003 not to make a summer signing but Pochettino has promised his squad will be better than last season, not least because it now includes a World Cup-winning captain in Lloris and Golden Boot winner Kane.

"For sure Hugo is ready to play. It's difficult to manage him now, eh? You cannot talk to him in the same way as before. Now he says, 'I am World Champion!' joked Pochettino.

"Nah, it's unbelievable because he's so humble. We have the Golden Boot too in Harry, who is so disappointed because he says to me I should have scored more goals.

"It's good that they feel that we are all together, the same team as last season and we can all fight for big things and show to everyone that we have a very good squad and very good team and the players can still improve."

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST) has called for a "full and credible explanation" of the club's absence of signings.

"Fans have paid the [season-ticket] prices asked. And yet no signings have been made," THST wrote in a statement.

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