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Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham signings are 'not only about football'

Mauricio Pochettino has said Tottenham are as interested in what a player is like off the pitch as on it, and that giving young players an opportunity is a key part of his plans.

Spurs are currently second in the Premier League, but rather than spend big in an attempt to challenge for the top honours, Pochettino wants to sign players who are "good people" and bring through talented young players from the club's academy.

"We try to sign players who can improve our squad not only in terms of football quality," Pochettino is quoted as saying. "If they are very good people, it is even better. We are a company. Football is the most important thing but it is not only about football.

"It is about football and people. Young players are part of my identity. At my first club as a player, Newell's Old Boys [in Argentina], there was always a belief in younger talent at the club, which was given the chance to work in the first team.

"Even though we were a medium-level club in Argentina, we won three titles. It was an important time for me to understand that even though you can add good players and staff from outside the club, the academy is important as that is the identity of the club.

"For a big club, it always seems more important to spend money on players from outside than give a chance to a younger player, but we have shown that we trust in the academy and if they have faith in us, these players can have the chance to play in the first team."