Transfers will be key to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham future, as already happened in the past when the Italian tactician was in charge of Juventus and Inter.
The ex-Bianconeri and Nerazzurri boss sees his contract in North London expire in June and talks over a new deal have not begun yet, according to reports.
Last month, Conte said he is happy at the club, suggesting he is open to extending his stay.
However, transfers will be crucial to persuade the 53-year-old to pen a new deal in North London.
“At the start of this season, I said to you that we need to go step by step and have time and patience and have two or three transfer markets to bring this squad to be competitive to play in two competitions like Premier League and Champions League,” Conte said on Sunday following Tottenham’s home loss to Newcastle.
Inter and Juventus know first-hand how demanding the Italian tactician can be when it comes to transfers. Conte is constantly looking to improve the squad and expects his club to match his ambitions.
In 2014, he left Juventus one day into pre-season, a few months after failing to extend his contract beyond 2015.
The famous quote ‘You can’t eat at a €100 restaurant with €10 in your pocket’ is still remembered by many in Turin, including President Andrea Agnelli.
Likewise, he left Inter in 2021 after being informed that the club was forced to sell some of their best players to balance the books. The Serie A giants eventually sold Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku weeks after Conte’s departure.
The Italian tactician has then explained his Inter exit, claiming that the Nerazzurri had changed his plans.
“I think first of all, I need to stay well in the club. I like always the honesty,” the Italian tactician said this past August.
“If you tell me one thing then you have to respect this. Otherwise, I don’t like people who say one thing to me at the start and during the season or after one year or two years, they change the situation.”
Now, Tottenham have higher financial resources than both Inter and Juventus and surely have more arguments to persuade the Italian tactician to extend his stay.
Despite two defeats in a row in Premier League, Spurs qualified for the Champions League last season and are now five points behind table leaders Arsenal who have a game in hand.
Reports in Italy and UK have linked Conte with a return to Juventus, but the coach has branded reports as ‘disrespectful.’
Agnelli apologized to Conte and wants him back. They had dinner together