Thomas Frank insists Tottenham will recover from the blow of missing out on the signing of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.
Oliver Glasner all-but confirmed the Eagles’ talisman had played his last game in a Crystal Palace shirt after claiming the England attacker pulled out on the day of their historic 1-0 Conference League play-off victory over Fredrikstad.
The Palace boss insisted Eze would start the Eagles’ first leg against the Norwegian side at Selhurst Park – also their first foray into major European football – before Arsenal swooped in with a £60million deal.
The transfer of 27-year-old, who had for a long time been linked to Tottenham, could be confirmed as early as this weekend.
Spurs had hoped to sign Eze as a direct replacement for James Maddison who will miss the majority of the new campaign with a new injury.
Arsenal’s north London rivals were understood to have had agreed a fee with Palace last week but the deal his a snag and with Eze preferring to rejoin his boyhood club Spurs have been forced to lick their wounds and pursue alternative targets.
‘To be very, very clear, I don’t want any players that don’t want to come to the club,’ said Frank ahead of Saturday’s game against Manchester City.
‘They don’t want to come to the club, to wear this fantastic badge, we don’t want them here.’
Tottenham have been linked with Manchester City winger Savinho, who will miss tomorrow’s game, and newly crowned PFA Young Player of the Year Morgan Rogers.
‘We are in the market and we will look to strengthen the team, Frank added. ‘We have a good squad and good players. I see 23 players working hard on a game plan for Manchester City tomorrow.
‘We need to do everything we can to be as competitive as possible. I am confident we will sign a player before the end of the window. Two players in, two players out so probably a bit similar.
‘It’s the same level but that’s good. it’s my job and that of my staff to make sure we can compete. Every club wants to sign players as early as possible, but it’s not that easy. I’m a positive guy, I’m not that fearful.
Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, was reluctant to speak directly about Eze, who will undergo a medical on Friday, but was asked whether his Arsenal roots played a part in his keenness to sign him.
Questioned as to how important it is that he gets the feeling that a player wants to be at Arsenal, he said: ‘That’s the number one, that they want to be with us and feel something special to come to us. Then the person, what personality we are going to bring – and then the rest comes.
‘I think we have done very well in the last few years to create this spirit in the team.’
On if it’s even better if said player grew up supporting Arsenal, he added: ‘The better the feeling, the stronger the feeling then the better always because it brings a different edge, will and emotion to what you do and I think that always brings something extra.’
