Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino Says He 'Will Not Walk Away' Amid Exit Rumours

Mauricio Pochettino doesn't care about rumours to the contrary, he's not going to be leaving Tottenham Hotspur any time soon. 

The Argentinian rubbished the idea he will quit when speaking at a press conference on Friday ahead of Sunday's north London derby against Arsenal:

"What can I say about a stupid rumour? After five years now I start my sixth season. You know how we worked this summer to rebuild and update because from each summer, version 2.0, 3.0 - now we're version 6.0 MP software.

"That stupidity can happen through some rumour sending to social media that creates a big, big problem that doesn't exist. I will not walk away after Sunday's game. I will be working Monday and Tuesday and then going away for a few days and coming back to meet Daniel [Levy] and watch some internationals."

While Pochettino did express the hope he will "extend" his stay with Spurs, the 47-year-old also made it clear the decision will ultimately rest with chairman Daniel Levy.

Pochettino, who has been in charge of the Liywhites since 2014, was initially referring to a rumour he's about to quit started by recent online betting activity. Bookmakers Coral suspended betting on Thursday after many bets were submitted Pochettino will stand down after the derby, per Darren Wells of the Daily Mirror.

The idea Levy will get to decide Pochettino's long-term future could raise more questions than answers. There have been reports of unease between Tottenham's primary decision-makers, with David Hytner of the Guardian detailing issues over the club's recruitment strategy as a potential wedge.

Hytner also noted how Levy and Pochettino sat down to dinner on Thursday in an obvious attempt to smooth over any tensions.

Despite Pochettino's emphatic statement refuting the speculation, doubts about his future are only likely to grow the longer the club goes without winning a trophy. Spurs last lifted silverware with the 2008 League Cup, a pattern of near misses and failure Pochettino hasn't been able to fix despite five years overseeing a gifted squad.

Transfers have been an issue with Spurs not signing a single player from January 2018 to July 2019. The pattern changed this year, though, when Tanguy Ndombele was acquired from Lyon in a club-record deal, while Ryan Sessegnon moved from Fulham and Giovani Lo Celso arrived on loan from Real Betis.

Yet Pochettino didn't want Jack Clarke, the winger Levy snapped up from Leeds United and immediately loaned back to the Championship outfit, according to Hytner. Nor was Pochettino impressed by Argentina international Lo Celso's fitness after he took an extended break following the Copa America:

While there have been issues with the signings Spurs have and haven't made, Pochettino has at least enjoyed the benefits of Levy keeping a gifted core together. Striker Harry Kane, attacking midfielder Dele Alli, centre-backs Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris have all been fixtures of Tottenham recently becoming a regular in the UEFA Champions League.

Continuing to qualify for Europe's premier club tournament won't be easy now Spurs are saddled with the debt accrued from moving into a new stadium last season. Pochettino's job will become harder still if the club manages that debt by offloading a few key players before the European transfer window closes on Monday, September 2.

He was asked about the futures of playmaker Christian Eriksen and midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama but couldn't offer a conclusive answer about either:

Returning to the Champions League will require Spurs not only getting more from new signings. It will also require last season's beaten finalists seeing off competition from Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea to finish in the top four again.

Tottenham edged out the Gunners by just a single point last season, so a derby even at this early stage of the campaign represents an opportunity for both to lay down a marker.

Arsenal took four points off Spurs in 2018/19, including a 4-2 victory at the Emirates Stadium back in December. Another defeat would leave Tottenham already off the pace in the scramble for top-four places after last week's shock 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle United.

Losing to the Gunners would also likely reignite speculation in some quarters Pochettino's time with Spurs is running out, no matter what the man himself says.