Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham Hotspur paid a price for their late summer transfer business. Pochettino wants Spurs to be quicker and smarter during upcoming transfer windows.

Pochettino said he would focus next month on trying to “take advantage of the English market and add an English player”, together with the drive to promote English youngsters from the academy. 

Spurs already has the maximum of 17 foreign players.

Pochettino signed Davinson Sánchez, Paulo Gazzaniga, Juan Foyth, Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente in the final two weeks of August. Foyth, Aurier and Llorente came in the last 48 hours.

“This summer was a very good example because we signed good players but it was so late and with no pre-season [for them], you pay,” Pochettino said. “You then need six or seven months for the player to be fit, adapt himself in everything and that is always against us.

“The most important thing that we have been talking about is to identify our targets and, on 3 July, when we start our pre-season, they are here. If we don’t, it’s so difficult for them to help the team and then, during the season, you are going to pay. It’s so important today to identify your targets for the summer. If not and we wait until May and, before we sign, we sell, it’s so difficult to bring in players that can help.”