Brugge boss Phillipe Clement insists the signing of Victor Wanyama isn't dependent on his side qualifying for the Champions League.
But he admits nothing is sealed yet as the transfer sage goes into its second week.
The Belgians are red-hot favourites to book their place in club football’s most prestigious prize after an impressive 1-0 away win to Austrian upstarts LASK in the first leg.
Brugge have the chance to finish the job on home turf on Wednesday night and a deal for Wanyama was expected after weekend talks.
The Kenyan powerhouse has been offered a huge five-year contract worth £65,000 a-week as he edges closer to the Tottenham exit door.
The latest development comes after Fraser Forster piqued Celtic supporters' interest at the weekend when he admitted his former Parkhead team-mate contacted him to "keep my shirt warm for a bit", after the keeper nabbed his pal's No.67 upon his return to Glasgow.
And now Clement, who played with the Kenyan at Germinal Beerschot, admits the deal is not done yet despite Wanyama holding talks in a deal that could net Spurs a fee of more than £12m.
He said: "Qualifying for the Champions League makes no difference to him whether he signs or not.
"I know not only his (physical) qualities, but also his mentality.
"Of course, he is not the only boy we are working on at the moment.
"You cannot put all the eggs in one basket. The decisive stage is the last days of the transfer period."
Wanyama was a standout in green and white before he joined Southampton which led to an £11m move to Tottenham in 2016.
But Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino delivered a firm message by claiming the midfielder's exit is due to the Champions League finalists not being a charity.
He said: "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.”
