Jose Mourinho has reiterated that Tottenham will not make any knee-jerk signings this January.
Spurs are desperate for a replacement for Harry Kane, who could miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, having been left without a recognised striker on their books.
They have been linked with plenty of names so far this month, with Paris St Germain’s Edinson Cavani the latest, but any target has to meet certain criteria.
Mourinho has made it clear that Tottenham’s world will not end at the end of this season and says new signings must be part of the club’s long-term vision.
Next up: Norwich (H)— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 20, 2020
“To do something, you have to do something that is good for our future too, not just good for tomorrow,” said Mourinho ahead of Wednesday’s home clash with Norwich.
“Something that is good for the future too and of course the club is very aware of it and the club is very committed of course but we want to do something that is right by every point of view.
“So I don’t speak about other players from other clubs, about things that can happen or not happen because that’s not me and that’s not the way Tottenham operate too.
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“But we are trying to see if any good opportunities arise.”
Jose Mourinho during a Tottenham training session (Tess Derry/PA)
Tottenham have yet to score in the Premier League since Kane’s injury and while the wait for a new arrival goes on, the hard yards are being put in on the training ground to develop a new style.
“The moment we are winning, the moment we are in front, I think the games become different,” Mourinho added.
“When the games become different then probably the qualities of our players are more adapted to that.
“It’s more difficult when we start losing. It’s more difficult when a team is super close, then it’s more difficult for us without a target man but we are working and we did it in spite of three days between matches.
“We did it yesterday, we did it today. We are trying to improve the dynamic of the players playing without a real target man.”
While Kane will not be back any time soon, Spurs will be boosted by the return of Tanguy Ndombele, who has been missing since New Year’s Day with a hip injury.
Mourinho has already voiced plenty of frustration at the club record-buy’s injury problems and the Portuguese has insisted that the determination to become a top player must come from Ndombele.
“We have a plan with him where he is the most important part of the plan,” he said.
“Not me or the sports science or the medical or the nutrition. It’s him, the crucial part of the plan. So we need him to be good in that plan. We put into practice a plan with everything.
“He’s having individual training, he’s having training with the group, training with coaches, training with sports science people.
“He’s having the nutritionist teaching him things he doesn’t know. We are taking care of him in every detail. But again it is him the key guy.”
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