Tottenham manager Thomas Frank said the club had “done everything” to bring Antoine Semenyo to Spurs before he joined Manchester City from Bournemouth this month.
Frank defended the club’s transfer strategy and believes the failure to sign Semenho shows the Luiz family, who own a majority stake in Spurs, are “very keen” on the project.
Injuries to Mohamed Kudus and Richarlison and the sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace have increased Spurs’ need for left-sided forwards, but they have only brought in Conor Gallagher and Souza so far in this period.
Sunday, February 1st 4pm
4:30pm kickoff
Spurs were one of a number of Premier League clubs to move to Bournemouth in this transfer window, before Semenyo joined Man City in a £64m deal.
Tottenham tried to sign the Ghanaian international in the summer before penning a new contract with the Cherries.
Semenyo scored the winning goal in Bournemouth’s match against Spurs earlier this month before heading to City, and Frank will be hoping he doesn’t injure his team again when he will be shown live on Sky Sports as Tottenham host Man City on Sunday.
The club’s hierarchy has come under criticism from fans following Semenyo’s absence and lack of transfer activity this month, but Frank supports their approach.
Asked whether Spurs might not sign any more players before Monday’s 7pm deadline, Frank said: “The club is constantly working to do everything possible to improve the team, especially Johan (Lange), Fabio (Paritici), Vinay (Venkatesham) and all the people who support them.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
WATCH: Spurs’ Archie Gray and Ben Davies judge football fans’ talent!
“That means we shouldn’t get too attached to short-term fixes that won’t help us in the long run, because otherwise all the effort we’re putting in now could be limited going forward.
“And that’s not to say we don’t have a strong desire for short-term success. I can promise you that the Lewis family is very enthusiastic about this project. They want to do everything they can.”
“And I will go against my rules, hopefully just once, that there is no doubt that the club wanted to sign Semenyo.
Tottenham missed out on signing Antoine Semenyo
“They’ve done everything. I think this is a clear sign of the great dedication of the Lewis family. This is a big deal with finances and everything else.”
“So that’s the quality of players we’re looking for to improve the team and if we don’t find that then we’d definitely better make the right decision.
“I’m not saying it’s just about getting quality players. We all know it’s not that easy and we certainly can’t get another player in this slot for whatever reason. And as we head into the summer, we have a big summer ahead of us and I have no doubt that we’ll see a big improvement there.”
Frank responds to planned protest
This month has been largely uneventful, but before and during Sunday’s visit to City, fan group Change for Tottenham planned a protest under the slogan “It’s time to act”, reminding Frank that supporters want action more than words.
Fans are also unhappy with the club’s poor Premier League performance this season, with the club sitting 14th in the league having won just two of their last 14 league games.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Free to watch: Premier League highlights from Burnley vs. Tottenham Hotspur
“The fans just want what’s best for the club, the owners, the staff, the players, everyone wants what’s best for the club, just like I want (the best), but unfortunately I think it’s fair to say that the transfer window is not a football manager. Unfortunately, that’s not the case,” Frank said of the protests.
“It would be a lot easier, but it’s also a little boring. There aren’t that many good stories to tell.
“For the last 30 days, I basically couldn’t go to work, because I don’t have anything to write or talk about. So the transfer market is very difficult. It’s an art, it’s a craft.”
Frank revealed that Micky van de Ven, who missed midweek’s impressive win over Eintracht Frankfurt with a “minor” injury, will be called up late, but Spurs could still be without eight players despite Pedro Polo and Richarlison being set for a return at the end of February.
