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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Klopp defends Spurs transfer inactivity under Pochettino

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Test Event - Under 18 Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - March 24, 2019 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino applauds fans REUTERS/David Klein

(Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's stance in the transfer market should be applauded and manager Mauricio Pochettino deserves more credit for not investing in his squad during the last two windows, Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp has said.

Spurs are the first team in the Premier League era not to sign a player in consecutive transfer windows but despite the lack of fresh faces they are on their way to finish in the top four for a fourth consecutive season.

"In England, the country of transfers, if you don't do transfers then that's a really big headline," Klopp told Sky Sports ahead of Sunday's league visit of Spurs.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Fulham v Liverpool - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - March 17, 2019 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp before the match REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Pochettino's side were able to keep up with big-spending rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in the title race up until February, but have since dropped to 15 points off the top.

Tottenham's new 62,000-seater stadium could prove to be a financial burden, with early estimates that it would cost around 700 million pounds ($913 million) having jumped towards one billion pounds according to British media reports.

"I'm sure Mauricio Pochettino would have loved to have added but the players, but the first team of Tottenham is difficult to improve," Klopp added.

"From that point of view, if you have the right team together, you don't have to be too busy in the transfer market. But the players you have you can improve as well. Maybe they are better than the boy you wanted to buy.

"I respect their way a lot. At the end we all have to make our own decisions. I don't know why they did it, but most of the time if you don't make transfers it is because of money."

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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