LONDON -- Moussa Sissoko has revealed a chat with manager Mauricio Pochettino persuaded him to join Tottenham ahead of Everton on transfer deadline day.
Sissoko rejected a £30 million move to Goodison Park to join Tottenham for the same fee minutes before the Aug. 31 deadline, and he has appeared as a substitute in the matches against Stoke and Monaco.
The France midfielder, 27, has already revealed he moved to White Hart Lane to win the Premier League, and he explained that a chat with Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino and the prospect of Champions League football were also factors.
"[Pochettino] said he knew me and wanted me to come here, show what I did with Newcastle and help the team with their objectives. That's why I came. We had a good chat together and I'm happy to work with him," Sissoko said.
"I've played in the Europa League and World Cups, I wanted to play in the Champions League, so I said I wanted to join this place. I'm very happy to be here. I need to work hard and be 100 percent as soon as possible and help the team to win something and help them do well this season.
"I spoke with Everton but when Tottenham came I wanted to join this club directly because it is a big club. Everything in my head was clear so I signed here.
"I had some great years with Newcastle but Newcastle is the past and now I'm 100 percent focused on Tottenham."
Sissoko is Spurs' joint-most expensive signing with Erik Lamela, and the deal was the biggest ever involving a team in the Championship.
"For me it's the same. I don't feel pressure," Sissoko said. "Newcastle asked for £30m, Tottenham paid it. That's good for me, good for Newcastle and good for Tottenham. Everyone is happy so that's the most important thing."
Not for the first time this season Spurs started slowly in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Monaco at Wembley, trailing by two goals inside half an hour, having also gone behind in the league matches against Everton and Liverpool.
Sissoko, who played the final 10 minutes at Wembley, says it's important for Spurs to respond against Sunderland on Sunday, when he could make his first start for the club.
"I don't know, I can't explain [the bad start]. The most important thing is we have a good reaction," he said. "We deserved to draw the game but today was a bad day for us. We need to learn from this game and focus on the next game against Sunderland.
"There are a lot of good teams [in Spurs' Champions League group]. Monaco are a great team, we have Moscow and Leverkusen as well. It's a tough group and every game will be difficult. We take game by game and hope to take a lot of points."