Gary Lineker believes Tottenham could be facing an exodus unless they listen to Mauricio Pochettino’s demands.
Spurs produced an impressive third placed finish in the Premier League, securing a third successive year of Champions League football, and did so with far less spending than their top-four rivals.
It has not been the Tottenham way to splash the cash, but, in a change of tone, Pochettino suggested his club need to change their policy this summer and “take risks”.
Lineker believes his former club are at a crossroads and need to listen to their manager.
“It’s a seminal moment and I have been saying that for some time,” Lineker said at the launch of the BBC’s World Cup coverage.
“They have got lots of big stars there and if they want to keep them and have a go then they need to invest a little bit and need to probably pay the wages they can get elsewhere.
“Ultimately it doesn’t matter how loyal you are if the team isn’t successful and isn’t competing on the same wage level as you get elsewhere then you are ultimately going to lose the players and they will go elsewhere.
“I think Pochettino was right to say that and I think it is saying something about himself as well because if that ambition is not matched then I suspect he might depart and if he departs I can see some of the big stars following, so it’s a big moment for Tottenham, (chairman) Daniel Levy and the owners.”