Mauricio Pochettino 'calm' on lack of signings as Tottenham pursue different transfer philosophy

Mauricio Pochettino is remaining perfectly calm throughout an exceedingly quiet summer transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur, insisting that he retains faith in the club's youth players as Spurs continue to cultivate a philosophy that is in stark contrast to their big-spending Premier League title rivals.

Spurs have yet to make a single addition to a squad which finished second in the top-flight in 2016-17 and also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, with Kyle Walker following the likes of Clinton Njie, Federico Fazio and Nabil Bentaleb out of the exit door after being purchased by Manchester City in a record deal worth in excess of £50m ($64.9m).

Tottenham did appear set to clinch the signing of Argentina Under-20 centre-back Juan Foyth, although Sky Sports report that interest has now cooled with Pochettino said to be unhappy with Estudiantes' £8m asking price for a player also coveted by Paris Saint-Germain.

Their pursuit of injured Everton playmaker Ross Barkley also looks to be a real slow burner.

Such a lack of transfer activity has provoked fears that Spurs will fall further behind champions Chelsea and also be usurped by the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and potentially even Everton, all of whom have lavished significant sums on new recruits over recent weeks.

And while Pochettino concedes next season will present a "big, big challenge" as Tottenham make the temporary move to Wembley while their new stadium is being constructed, his commitment to developing his existing players and encouraging an exciting brand of football played by talented youngsters appears to remain unwavering.

"The big sides are investing a lot of money in trying to sign players and improve their squads, but for us we are so calm and so quiet because I think we believe in our squad, in our youth that are pushing from the academy," he told ESPN in Orlando. "We will add maybe a few players, but we are so calm because I think we have a very good team and the most important thing for us is always the team."

Pochettino insisted that Tottenham's transfer policy was dictated by the board and that a lack of big-money new arrivals was not due to an inability to spend, but rather a willingness to do things differently and the need to be both "clever" and "creative".

"Always the philosophy is coming from the board and in that case from [chairman] Daniel Levy," he added. "I think we have a very good relationship, we have a clear idea of what we need to do in the future.

"I think it is amazing the facilities we have and the training ground. We are building the new stadium that will be one of the best in England and Europe. I think it's an exciting moment for Tottenham. But it is true we are in a different philosophy, it's not because we cannot invest, but it's true Tottenham now have built a different philosophy than the big sides.

"I think in football, money can help you build a better squad or bring in players with talent but it's not only money, you need to be creative, you need to be clever. It will be tough next season for us, but we believe in the way that we play and we work."