New Tottenham stadium not affecting transfer policy, says chairman Daniel Levy

The construction of Tottenham's new stadium will not directly affect the club's transfer policy, chairman Daniel Levy has again told fans.

Spurs made no signings in the summer, becoming the first Premier League club to do so since the current transfer window system was adopted in 2003.

Tottenham have since made their joint-best start to a Premier League season, with 18 points from eight games.

Levy said the club had a "certain amount earmarked for transfers".

Spurs' new 62,062-seat arena is estimated to have cost £850m, and the club plan to use it for NFL games.

Levy said he did not think the potential sale of Wembley Stadium, which also hosts NFL matches, to Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan would affect those plans.

The Tottenham chairman added "he was against the sale of Wembley regardless".

'Spurs can only spend what is available'

Tottenham made a £25m bid for Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish during the summer but were unable to conclude a deal.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino then said Spurs "achieved their objective" and did a "great job" by keeping their best player, after striker Harry Kane signed a new five-year deal.

There were also extensions for Son Heung-min, Erik Lamela, Davinson Sanchez and Harry Winks, while defender Toby Alderweireld remained at the club despite reports linking him with Manchester United.

Levy, in notes from a board-to-board meeting between the football club and Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust, said "the club had based the summer window on certain assumptions that some players might be leaving and certain targets would be available".

The chairman added that Pochettino "didn't want to sign someone for the sake of it. He felt there were sufficient players in the squad, and that those coming back from injury would be like new signings".

Levy also said "the stadium won't directly impact on the transfer policy. There is a certain amount earmarked for transfers and the club can only spend what is available".

And he explained "transfers were complicated with several variables so it was not possible to work out in advance how much you could spend in a given window".

Tottenham released pictures of the pitch being laid at the club's new stadium last week

Wembley sale 'wouldn't impact NFL plans'

The opening of Spurs' new stadium has been delayed because of safety concerns.

The stadium was due to open on 15 September but - at last week's meeting with the Trust, the notes from which were published on Monday - the club said it would issue an update "in the next two to three weeks".

The retractable grass pitch at the new stadium, which sits on the site of the old White Hart Lane, has been laid but the ground was not ready in time to host an NFL match on its artificial surface underneath.

The venue was due to host the Seattle Seahawks' win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, which was instead moved to Wembley, where Tottenham have been playing their home games.

The club have a 10-year deal with the NFL to stage two games a season, and Levy said the potential sale of Wembley to US billionaire Khan, who owns Fulham and NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars, would not change that.

Levy added that he felt "any London franchise was a long way off" but that the NFL's International Series meant there was ample opportunity for Spurs.