Last Saturday, Spurs fans took to Twitter to ironically celebrate 500 days since their club last signed a player.
Since January 2018, when Lucas Moura was purchased for 28.4 million euros from PSG, Daniel Levy has not given Mauricio Pochettino a dime to spend despite the success he has had during that period.
But what that has given the Argentine boss the opportunity to do is to build a core group of players who feel the manager has put his undivided faith and attention into them, even if the real reason for that is because his hands were tied.
The togetherness of the squad was as prevalent as ever during their Champions League run in which they came from behind to beat both Manchester City and Ajax on their way to the final.
And so far Pochettino’s reign at Spurs can be been deemed a success because he has given the club the ability to compete with more established, wealthier clubs without a great deal of financial backing.
Now, fast forward to the present and it would seem Levy is prepared to give Pochettino a budget to spend this summer given they have already been linked with a number of players including Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Ryan Sessegnon and Jack Clarke, according to Football London.
If Spurs do make multiple transfers this summer then it will undoubtedly mean that the goalposts have shifted when it comes to what success is at the club – Pochettino will not be able to shield himself behind the fact that he hasn’t spent any money.
He still hasn’t won anything in his managerial career and if this next phase is to be the ‘spending phase’ that solidifies Spurs as a European powerhouse, then Pochettino needs to get a trophy under his belt sooner rather than later.
Alternatively, if he only adds one or two players to his squad this summer – and for reasonable prices – it will ensure expectations do not go through the ceiling and he retains that feeling of unity which has been so integral to his time at the club.
Coming off the back of one of Spurs’ most memorable seasons in their history it would be both unnatural and unnecessary to heap a whole load of pressure on the manager and players because of multiple gigantic transfers.
Stability is the key from which Pochettino and Spurs need to build and they should not feel they need to trade in a noble, sensible philosophy in order to try and compete.