Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has issued a strongly worded message after his side missed out on a chance to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
Both Spurs and Arsenal have been linked with a move for Eze all summer, but over the past few weeks, it seemed like Tottenham had won the race.
Spurs finally agreed personal terms with Eze earlier this week after a long-drawn-out negotiation with Palace.
However, their hopes of signing the Englishman ended in disappointment as Arsenal swooped in to hijack the deal.
Eze, who is reportedly a lifelong Gunners supporter, ultimately had a change of heart and decided to join Arsenal in a deal worth around £68 million.
The deal is expected to be confirmed by both clubs over the weekend.
Eze to Arsenal is a slap on Tottenham’s face
This is the second time Tottenham are missing out on a key midfield target this summer, after failing to finalise a deal for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.
The England international ultimately decided to sign a new contract at City Ground after the Tricky Trees blocked his move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
After the latest fiasco, Frank issued a strongly worded message in his pre-match press conference, insisting that the club will only target players fully committed to joining Spurs.
He made it clear that Tottenham will not waste time chasing players who do not truly want to represent the club.
“I don’t want any players that don’t want to come to the club,” Frank said (via Tottenham’s official website).
“I think that’s very clear, and also pretty sure that the fans will feel the same if they don’t want to put the fantastic shirt over their head, play for the badge, play for the club.
“No problem, then we don’t want them there. I think that’s a key message.”
With just over a week left in the transfer window, Tottenham are running out of time to address their creativity issues in midfield.
With James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski sidelined, Frank needs a creative midfielder who can pull the strings from the middle of the park.
However, Frank is also confident that reinforcements will come in before the deadline.