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Tottenham players want to stay here, insists boss Mauricio Pochettino

LONDON -- Mauricio Pochettino says all Tottenham's players share his desire to stay at the club longterm after he agreed a new five-year contract.

On Friday, Pochettino ended months of speculation by announcing that he had verbally agreed a new deal until 2021, before saying he wanted to create a dynasty at Tottenham to rival Sir Alex Ferguson's 27 years at Manchester United.

Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen could all follow their manager by signing contract extensions soon and Pochettino said his players share his vision of moving into the new stadium in 2018 as Champions League regulars.

"The players want to stay here and bring this club to the new stadium and play in the Champions League. It is a collective objective," Pochettino told a news conference.

The Argentine also said he had not asked Daniel Levy for any assurances before agreeing the deal, and he has no concerns about Spurs' players demanding pay rises from the chairman.

"We have very clever people at the top. Our president is very clever with how he manages and builds. It is normal [if the players want more money] -- if you achieve, you want more.

"I did not need assurances. I didn't ask for anything. The moment that the president wanted to extend my contract, he showed his ambition. The players are very happy here. I want to be involved in the future of the club. To be consistent for the club is fantastic and to have a clear idea and follow a philosophy is an advantage," he said.

Pochettino, 44, said he had a "responsibility" to show the players he believes in the club and added that the end of speculation about his future will help Spurs finish the season strong and attract new signings in the summer.

"We are responsible to show we believe in the club and we've shown we want to keep all the big, important players. They are important to our future," added Pochettino.

"It is important for the players and the potential players that will come not to hear rumours about whether Pochettino will be here or not. We are ready to compete in the market and try to add the players that can help us in the future. Not that we need much, because we have a good squad already.

"We need to be focused now either to win the title or come second. And it is important that all the focus is on football and trying to win games and preparing for next season. It is important that we are not wasting time with rumours and different things. It is important to work very hard to try to prepare."

Spurs' hopes of winning a first league title since 1961 are hanging by thread after Leicester's draw at Manchester United moved the league leaders eight points clear of Pochettino's side, who travel to Chelsea on Monday.

Although it would take a remarkable turn of events for Spurs to beat Leicester to the title, Sunday's result all but secured Champions League football for Tottenham for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

Pochettino has previously admitted that Spurs face a "difficult" period ahead while their new stadium is being built but he is excited by the challenge of proving this term is not a one-off.

"I've explained a lot of times that we are ahead in our project. Our aim is to arrive in the new stadium and play in the Champions League and to play at the top," the former Argentina international continued.

"This is a good challenge. I love the challenge. I have a big respect for this club when Tottenham offered me the job and I came from Southampton, and I feel the responsibility to stay here and try to help the club in very important period. To arrive in the new stadium with a very good team and to be competitive is a very good challenge in the next few seasons."

Spurs are on course for a record-high finish and points haul in the Premier League, despite failing to win any of their first four league matches.

Pochettino feels their slow start is to blame for the points gap to Leicester and urged everyone at the club not to make the same mistakes next season.

"We need to keep this philosophy and the mentality we share now -- it is a good legacy for the club in the future. Tottenham is a big club and needs to show that it is a big club. This season was important -- after 10 or 12 games, we started to believe that we are a big club and we started to behave like one.

"Maybe it was missing in the first 10 games and that is now the gap with Leicester. The future is fantastic for Tottenham, who have unbelievable supporters, a new stadium, incredibly facilities and they can become a top club and fight every season to be the top club. Whether they can achieve that is different, but it is important early next season to fight for it."