With one of the most exciting managers in world football sitting in the Tottenham dugout, it is only right for fans to be positive about the future. However, the inconsistent nature of the clubs play since Antonio Conte arrived has meant that some fans are worried the fiery Italian will get up and go before the project can truly begin. That would be a huge worry for all concerned, and would likely spell out to the elite world that Spurs is not a serious top-level project.
However, reports this week that Conte will drop in a four-man shortlist to the Spurs board can only be good news. If the coach is drawing up lists of targets, it must mean that he can see himself sticking around beyond June. When the club beat Manchester City and then followed it up with a maddening loss to Burnley, Conte looked ready to walk away. Stabilisation has come since, though, and it now looks like the Italian will stick around.
The challenge for Spurs, though, is landing the targets. Conte is known to be ambitious and demanding, and is hardly going to be asking for young lads playing in League One. He was happy enough to accept Dejan Kulusevski and Bentancur, but it was clearly something that had to be coaxed. Conte prefers players who are in or close to their prime so that he can develop them and improve them further.
As such, the arrival of four new signings in the summer would be unlikely to be in this mould. Instead, it would likely be players who are closer in age and experience to the likes of Harry Kane. For Tottenham, then, this is a test of their mettle: how serious are they, really, about building a squad that Conte can use?
Will Spurs let Conte down?
Sadly, Tottenham have a reputation for letting down their coaches when they have momentum. It happened after the UEFA Champions League Final defeat, and it has happened under Jose Mourinho. The club seems to be lethargic when it coms to moving for targets, and this can lead to a lot of issues with regards to squad building and development.
As such, there is an increasing interest in making sure that something can be done to solve this. The arrival of Fabio Paratici offers gravitas and negotiation skills which are far more likely to be suitable for top clubs. Compare and contrast with the I-must-win attitude of the past, and it was hard for Spurs to get a deal over the line. Sometimes, clubs need to accept that they might have to overpay slightly to get a deal done – if the player is the one truly wanted, the deal should be made.
So, it remains to be seen whether or not Paratici and co. will let down Conte. One thing is for sure, if there is even a slight doubt about deals being done then the former Juventus and Internazionale coach will not be shy in telling the support.
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