This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
On August 26, 2019, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino made it clear that Victor Wanyama's time with the team was coming to an end.
Wanyama, who had been described by Pochettino as his 'beast', had struggled with injuries and had fallen out of favor with the coach.
According to Pochettino, the decision to let Wanyama go was not about sentiment, but about performance. 'It's all about performance,' he said. 'Football is for today and tomorrow, not yesterday. You need always to show that you are there and deserve (to be there).'
Wanyama's injury-riddled season had allowed another player to step up and take his place, and Pochettino made it clear that the team was not a charity. 'We are in a team, we are not a charity,' he said. 'I am making clear the answer is not about Victor, but we are not a charity – it is about performance and the coaching staff have a lot of different options to play different players.'
Wanyama's departure was seen as a natural part of the evolution of football, and Pochettino remained uncertain about the future of other players, including Christian Eriksen, who had one more year left on his contract.
