Mauricio Pochettino plots January overhaul with five Tottenham players made available for transfer
Tottenham are preparing for a busy January transfer window as Mauricio Pochettino plots a major clear-out, after his side’s disappointing start to the season.
Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Brighton leaves Spurs down in ninth place in the Premier League table, 13 points shy of table-topping Liverpool.
Pochettino’s side were also eliminated from the EFL Cup by Colchester and suffered a 7-2 home loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week.
The former Southampton boss is beginning to come under pressure for the first time since he moved to north London in 2014, although he continues to enjoy a positive relationship with chairman Daniel Levy.
However, Pochettino believes his squad needs a major shake-up and, according to a report in The Times, is planning to use the January transfer window to freshen things up.
The Tottenham boss reportedly wanted to conduct an overhaul this summer, but Kieran Trippier was the only first-teamer to depart.
Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are all out of contract next summer, and each was linked with a move away before ultimately remaining at Spurs after the transfer deadline.
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Eriksen is one of those who will be made available when the market reopens in January, with the Denmark international having no intention of signing a new deal at the club.
Tottenham will also listen to offers for Eric Dier, who has made just one Premier League start this term.
Danny Rose, who was excused from Spurs’ pre-season tour of Asia so that he could try to find a new club, will again be encouraged to seek pastures new.
And Pochettino has made it clear that Serge Aurier and Victor Wanyama are not in his long-term plans either.
Tottenham will hope to return to winning ways when they host Watford after the international break.
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Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).