Tottenham Hotspur released a statement for supporters and investors that admitted the potential loss of Champions League play could affect the club’s financial availability for player recruitment this summer.
Spurs currently sit eighth in the Premier League table after drawing with Burnley this past weekend, currently seven points adrift of a Champions League place and four points shy of fifth which could end up being a Champions League qualifying spot pending Man City’s UEFA ban.
Club chairman Daniel Levy spoke at a meeting with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust, and the minutes from the meeting published by the club outlined the chairman’s concerns with the potential lack of top European play next season.
“Daniel Levy responded that Spurs have a net base spend of £200m in the last four years on players but maintained there is little correlation between money spent and winning. It’s about making the right decisions. Funds were ring-fenced for the summer, however not qualifying for the Champions League would have an impact all round.”
Levy continued with the narrative that spending does not equal winning, saying, “Spurs are a club that makes superstars. Jose Mourinho wants to bring in players who give everything for the club because they recognize the opportunity.”
The club spent an estimated $163 million this season on players between the summer and winter transfer windows, bringing aboard the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon in the summer plus Steven Bergwijn and Gedson Fernandes in the winter, while Spurs also committed another $46 million to this coming summer on the permanent signing of on-loan midfielder Giovani Lo Celso. Tottenham has struggled through a striker drought during the second half of this season, with both Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son missing significant time through injury.
Spurs can also qualify for next season’s Champions League should they win the competition. They currently face a 1-0 Round of 16 deficit as they travel to RB Leipzig for the second leg on Tuesday.
