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Release clause gives Tottenham problems even with renewed Riqui Puig interest

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Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino watched Barcelona B at the weekend.

Mauricio Pochettino manager

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino was spotted watching Barcelona B at the weekend, The Mirror reported.

This has prompted speculation in The Sun that Pochettino may have been there to watch midfielder Riqui Puig.

Spurs tried to sign Puig in the summer and at one stage appeared close to doing so, before he committed his future to Barcelona.

Puig was a late substitute at the weekend in Barcelona B’s 2-1 win.

The big problem for Pochettino and Tottenham regarding Puig, is that they have missed their best chance of landing him already.

When Puig signed his new contract with Barcelona in the summer, the club inserted a release clause in his contract of 100 million Euros (£88m), Marca reported.

15th August 2018, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain; Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona versus Boca Juniors; Riqui Puig of FC Barcelona awaits a corner kick

Puig’s contract was up in the summer and Spurs nearly managed to sign him on a free, with Sport reporting talks reached an advanced stage and that Pochettino was ‘in love’ with the midfielder’s ability.

This explains Pochettino’s continued interest in watching Puig’s development, but it does not look great for Spurs at present.

While just a substitute at the weekend, he has now made 12 appearances for Barcelona B already, an increase from just three last season.

Breaking through at Barcelona may seem impossibly tough for any young player, but right now Puig’s decision to stay is looking like the right move, temporarily at least.

Spurs are right to continue to monitor his situation, even if Barcelona have no desire to let him go right now.

Riqui Puig of FC Barcelona looks on during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Boca Juniors at Camp Nou on August 15, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.