Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Nacer Chadli was part of his future plans before the midfielder decided to join West Brom.
Chadli played regularly during the early stages of Pochettino's reign at White Hart Lane but struggled for game time as Spurs fought for the title last term.
The 27-year-old made 35 Premier League appearances during his final season in north London, 19 of which were as a substitute.
Pochettino wanted to retain the Belgian's services this summer but allowed Chadli to move to the Hawthorns after he made his desire to leave known.
“It was all clear with him,” Pochettino told a pre-match news conference.
“He asked me before the end of last season if he had the facility to go and play more for another team.
“I said to him ‘you are in my plans but if you want to leave and it’s the right club and the right price then ok, it’s not a problem’.
"In the end he chose to go to West Bromwich," Pochettino added.
Chadli has thrived during the early stages of his career at West Brom, scoring three goals in four appearances to help propel Tony Pulis's side to ninth place in the table.
Chadli will be aiming to get the better of his former employers this weekend and Toby Alderweireld is relishing an opportunity to test himself against his international teammate.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Nacer again," Alderweireld told the club's official Twitter account.
"We'll be friends before and after the game but in the game we want to beat him and we will do our best to get the three points."
