Tottenham news: Mauricio Pochettino admits 'disappointment' at Paul Mitchell departure

Spurs head coach reveals that he tried to talk head of recruitment Paul Mitchell into staying after he handed in his notice earlier this week

Mauricio Pochettino (Getty)

Mauricio Pochettino revealed for the first time this afternoon that he is “very disappointed” by his friend Paul Mitchell’s decision to leave Tottenham Hotspur, and said that he tried to persuade him to stay.

Spurs head of recruitment Mitchell handed in his notice at White Hart Lane on Tuesday, less than two years after following Pochettino from Southampton to Tottenham. The pair have a very close working relationship and Pochettino admitted at his press conference this afternoon how upset he was by Mitchell’s imminent departure.

“I feel very disappointed with his decision, but it is his personal choice,” Pochettino said. “We had a relationship from Southampton and I feel very disappointed. But when a person takes a decision and it is personal, what can I do?”

Pochettino admitted that he had tried to persuade Mitchell to stay, although he was powerless to change Mitchell’s mind as months of frustrations came to a head with his decision to quit.

“It was obvious that that happened,” Pochettino said, when asked if he had tried to change Mitchell's mind. “But when you take your choice on something personal, there is nothing that you can do. Only respect that person’s decision, and carry on working.”

Mitchell will stay at Tottenham for the duration of his notice period, as Spurs try to complete their transfer window business this month. “He is with us, he is in the office,” Pochettino said. “Last night we shared a dinner with all the squad and he was with us. Nothing changes for the moment. We work in the same way that we worked before. Things like this happen.”