Jose Mourinho Admits Tottenham Could Not Afford to Pay Willian Wages
By Ross Jackson
Jose Mourinho has started the mind games ahead of this weekend's north London derby, claiming Tottenham 'didn't have the money' to compete with Arsenal for the signature of Willian.
The Brazilian signed for the Gunners on a free transfer last summer following the expiration of his deal with Chelsea. He departed the west London club with a significant medal haul, having won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the Europa League.
Mourinho and Willian worked together during the Portuguese tactician's second spell at Stamford Bridge, and while the Spurs boss admitted that he admires him as a player, Spurs weren't in a position to compete with the financial muscle of Arsenal.
“We don’t have money for Willian,” Mourinho told reporters in his press conference, quoted by the
Telegraph. “We cannot pay the wages that he gets at Arsenal so I didn’t want to waste our time because we cannot pay these wages.
“He is still dangerous, he is still one of the best players in the Premier League. Apart from that, he is a good friend. I have nothing to hide in relation to that. We keep in touch, we keep in contact, we call each other. We wish good things to each other. He is my friend and of course he is a very good player.”
This Sunday's clash will be the second north London derby Mourinho has taken charge of Spurs for, having masterminded their 2-1 over Arsenal in July.
The fixture will see the return of 2,000 fans following the easing of lockdown restrictions, and despite having been with Spurs for little over a year, Mourinho is well aware of the clash's significance to his side's supporters.
“It means more when we are not in the position we are now because now we are in such a good position,” he added. “It is a little bit different because we want the points and we are not just like, we want to beat Arsenal because to beat Arsenal is the only good thing we can give to our fans.
“It happened last season when we played Arsenal in the last part of the season. It was about winning against Arsenal to give something good, to have a good feeling. In this moment, we also look to the table and we are in a good position, fighting for positions in the top part of the table.
“But we never forget the fact that there are historical rivalries and what it means for the fans. Even for people that were not born at Tottenham, and many of us are in this situation. When you arrive at the club you understand the culture, you learn the culture and you share the values with the fans.”
Spurs currently top the Premier League after a superb start to the season, while Arsenal - despite their FA Cup success in August - find themselves down in 14th after a rocky start to 2020/21.