Mauricio Pochettino sent Victor Wanyama packing towards a £10million move to Club Bruges by saying his Tottenham career has gone “backwards” and shrugging: “We are not a charity.”
Pochettino takes charge of his 500th game as a manager when Spurs host Newcastle on Sunday admitting he doesn't know whether playmaker Christian Eriksen will still be at the club beyond the European transfer deadline on September 2.
But even if continental big guns come calling for the Danish midfielder, Poch Spice will not stand in Wanyama's way if Tottenham can agree a deal with Bruges.
Pochettino once described Wanyama as his “beast” - but the Spurs head coach has no room for sentiment and warned: “It's all about performance. Football is for today and tomorrow, not yesterday. You need always to show that you are there and deserve (to be there).
“In the case of Victor, he suffered an injury and another player stepped up and took his place. We are in a team, we are not a charity.
“I am making clear the answer is not about Victor, but we are not a charity – it is about performance and the coaching staff have a lot of different options to play different players.
“I am the coach, I need to take the decision and hope it will be right. Victor is a very important player and, for different circumstances, went backwards.
“That is the evolution of football and things like that happen naturally at all clubs.”
Pochettino, who could recall fit-again England midfielder Dele Alli for his first game of the season, remains uncertain about Eriksen's future and he admitted: “I always tell players not to be affected by rumours.
“In this case, there is nothing more to say because there is one more year on his contract. But it's not the best situation for him, for everyone.”
