There have been countless instances of managers claiming that they won't do any more business in the transfer window before buying a player or two or three in the final few days. Countless instances of managers claiming that such and such a player won't be sold.....shortly before that player is sold. Countless instances of managers claiming that they aren't trying to buy such and and such a player.....shortly before buying that player.
But even if you have somehow managed to miss every such instance and insist that managers are only guilty of sometimes not telling the whole truth, then it is perfectly possible to interpret the Pulis quote that we are discussing as merely him not telling the whole truth. What he actually said was:
"That (Fazio) deal has nothing to do with Saido's position at the football club. We want Saido to stay. You never say never but we want him to stay."
Sure, the Fazio deal is technically a separate deal. So he's telling the truth. But it doesn't mean that he's telling the whole truth. It doesn't mean that there isn't also a separate deal in place for Berahino to Spurs. And sure, he does want Berahino to stay. But that doesn't mean that he thinks that Berahino will stay. In fact, his continued repetition of "never say never" suggests quite the opposite.
