Ronald Koeman has said that the interest shown by Tottenham Hotspur in Southampton's players and coaching staff should be taken as a "compliment".
Mauricio Pochettino left the Saints in the summer and although he was not able to lure any players to the club, former head of recruitment Paul Mitchell is poised to follow the Argentine manager to White Hart Lane.
Reports have also linked the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez with a move to London, but, rather than panic, Koeman has said that Tottenham's interest should be viewed as a sign of how well his side are progressing.
"It is a compliment for us that Tottenham are not just trying to buy football players, they are also trying to buy our scouts," Koeman is quoted as saying by ESPN FC.
"That is a compliment for us because that means maybe we have a better structure than they have. For the last few years Southampton has had a good structure.
"There is a strong academy, good young players, a technical director in Les Reed who has the club's long term interests at heart - that is the quality of the club. It is a good structure and it is a pleasure to work in that."
Koeman has led second-place Southampton on a remarkable run of form which has seen them win eight of their last nine league games.
Kristian Johnson
