LONDON -- Mauricio Pochettino is not expecting Tottenham Hotspur to make any signings before Thursday's deadline but insists he is happy with his squad and that the club can make forward strides this season.
Spurs are yet to sign or sell any senior players, and the Premier League transfer window closes at 5 p.m. BST.
"I think it's so difficult now because it's only four hours until the end and I don't have news now," Pochettino told a news conference. "Always, until you finish the game, you cannot say 'now it's the end of the game'. But in four hours it will be difficult to sign some players.
"I am happy to keep all the squad together. There are many rumours during the summer about players out. The club made a massive effort to try to extend contracts with people like Harry Kane. He is one example but there are many examples too.
"The club is doing an amazing effort to try to finish the stadium as soon as possible, and the lodge finished at the training ground.
"Of course it's difficult to understand for people that Tottenham didn't sign or sell players, but sometimes in football you need to behave differently. If we are happy with our squad and cannot improve our squad, sometimes it's better to keep our squad together.
"We believe a lot in our players and there's no point now to say 'why not repeat a similar season like last year or the season before, and with more experience?'
"Now we have players who compete at a high level in the World Cup, and we have the captain who is the world champion, the one who lifted the trophy. That is a fantastic experience for him to translate to our team. Sure we are going to be better, no doubt about that."
Asked why the club have struggled to recruit players this summer, Pochettino replied: "The market was crazy. The World Cup changed the mind of everyone. The transfer market finishes today and people who understand it better than myself will debate whether it is a good or bad idea to be different to the rest of Europe.
"We have a very good squad, with very good players, and it is very difficult to add players to that. We didn't sell players and with 25 in the squad it is difficult to add.
"It's not about adding because it's fashionable to sign players. [It's about] if you really need [them] or not and then if you can get your target or not.
"It's true our targets are always the same level as Manchester United, Manchester City or Real Madrid, but for different circumstances we can't achieve that.
"I am not worried, not sad, I am so happy. To keep our best players was our objective and goal and we have achieved that -- at the moment. We will see what happens in the next 20 days in Europe.
"I think it was a great job from the club to keep the best players -- and the best manager."
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Tottenham kick off their Premier League campaign away against Newcastle on Saturday, and Pochettino is assessing the nine players who reached the World Cup semifinals and only returned to training on Monday.
"I am so happy in the way they came back," said the Argentinian. "I am so proud about them because they were very focused on trying to arrive in a very good condition. The circumstances are completely different from each other.
"Some need more time to get fit than others. Some players will be fit to start the game, some will be fit to be on the bench. Maybe some players will stay here to try to reach the level, to have more time, for different reasons.
"It's a massive challenge for us to try to deliver the best tools for them to get fit and then to prepare them for the whole season, not only for one, two or three games or for one month."