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Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has blamed BREXIT as one reason for his lack of signings - because star players from Europe cost "30% more".

The Spurs manager made the comment as the pound slid to a nine-month low against the Euro yesterday amid mounting fears of a no-deal Brexit.

Pochettino's side did not sign a single player before the summer transfer window shut.

Explaining the decision, he highlighted almost £1billion spent on a new stadium - but also said: "And then, with Brexit, it is worse because the cost is 30% more."

Pochettino described the decision not to make new signings as "brave", and said he had decided to "keep the best players and to keep the squad."

Tottenham's MP David Lammy joked: "Damn! I hope we don’t exit Europe during the group stage."

The Remain- and Spurs-backing Labour MP, of the Best For Britain anti-Brexit campaign, added: "Premier League clubs are being forced to pay a colossal Brexit tax in this transfer window thanks to the pound's slump.

(Image: Brandle84/Twitter) (Image: Simon Dawson) (Image: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty)

"Could this be the reason we've seen a quiet summer window by normal standards? Pochettino thinks so.

"No one voted to make one of Britain finest exports - the Premier League - less competitive.

"At a time when Ronaldo's gone to Italy and top stars continue to flock to the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, we shouldn't be handing our clubs at home a disadvantage."

The pound was worth €1.30 the night before Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016, but tumbled and never recovered.

Sterling has been in decline since April as talk mounts of leaving without a deal with Brussels. It edged down to €1.10 yesterday, a nine-month low - causing a nightmare for Premier League bosses trying to close their deals.

(Image: Chris J Ratcliffe)

Prices for some players shot up by £1million within just a couple of months.

Liverpool's €45m deal to sign Fabinho cost about £39.4million when it was closed in May and the same fee would have cost £40.5million yesterday.

Overall, Remain campaigners say this summer's transfer window cost Premier League clubs £88.3million more than if the pound was still worth what it was in 2016.

Liverpool paid £17.37million more, West Ham £8.8million, Arsenal £8.2million and Brighton & Hove Albion £5.4million, the anti-Brexit People's Vote campaign said.

(Image: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

One deal alone - signing Kepa Arrizabalaga to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao - cost £8.3million more than it would have done under the old value of the pound, said campaigners.

Everton legend Peter Reid, speaking for the campaign, said: "It doesn’t take a Jenas to work out that Brexit is damaging our economy, and that our football teams are paying the price just like everyone else.

“There’s no Silva lining to this story: we need a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal before we end up in a real Messi."