New stadium means Spurs in 'very tough' period - Pochettino

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino believes his club are in as tough a period as Arsenal went through while building their new stadium.

Spurs are expected to move into their new home, located near White Hart Lane, ahead of the 2018-19 Premier League season.

The £400million stadium is providing yet another challenge for Pochettino and his team, who sit third in the table and hold a realistic chance of winning the title.

The Argentinian compared Tottenham's situation to Arsenal's when their London rivals moved from Highbury to Emirates Stadium in 2006.

"I have read a lot about Arsene Wenger saying the toughest period for Arsenal was in the period that they built their stadium," Pochettino said.

"I think you need to know, and the people need to know, that this is a very tough period for us.

"We need to be careful because we need to arrive at the new stadium in very good condition to try to fight for everything, and try to show that we are one of the best clubs and teams in the world."

Pochettino again defended his decision not to add a striker to his squad to provide greater support for Harry Kane, who has 15 league goals this season, in the January transfer window.

The former Southampton boss believes Tottenham have options aplenty to step in up front if required.

"We have many players that can play like a striker like Sonny [Son Heung-min] or [Nacer] Chadli, that have shown they can score," Pochettino added.

"We have younger players that train with us like Shayon [Harrison] and, in behind, I told you about [Kazaiah] Sterling and different players.

"We need to give the chance to believe in the younger players, because for our future they will be very important players."