LONDON - Mauricio Pochettino delivered a stinging rebuke to former Barcelona captain Xavi for linking Dele Alli with a move to Manchester City — and insisted Tottenham will only sell players they do not want to keep.
Several Tottenham stars are coveted by Europe’s biggest clubs after another strong campaign but Pochettino is determined to keep his young team together. Xavi claimed his old Barca boss Pep Guardiola is considering a move for Alli at the end of the season but the Spurs boss, who played for and coached Barcelona’s city rivals Espanyol, hit back.
"Xavi is my enemy and tried to destroy our focus to win," said Pochettino. "Maybe he is working for Manchester City, he wants to help Guardiola.
"He hates me because he is a Barcelona player and a fan. I know him very well, I played against him a lot and when I was a manager."
"Clubs with a lot of potential are now focused on our talented players because we’re doing good things."
Honoured to be awarded the PFA young player of the year, couldn't of done it without my team mates. Not stopping here, onwards and upwards 🏆 pic.twitter.com/mq0ZDfLdF8
— Dele (@Dele_Alli) April 24, 2017