Speak to anyone who follows the career of Antonio Conte, and they will tell you he is a demanding revolutionary. The coach has gone into many clubs and turned them around almost entirely, adding strength in depth and a mindset that is nigh-impossible to break down. However, one issue for Conte might be turning this Tottenham team around. While there are some excellent ingredients to work with, it is clear that there are some issues that need ironed out at the same time.
For one, the club has a homegrown headache to deal with. Spurs are, it is believed, looking to make as many as six senior signings this summer to help fill-out the squad. However, the lack of homegrown players around the first-team could hobble those efforts. While the likes of Harry Winks were expected to leave, the need to have club-trained players in the pool might mean that is not a realistic possibility.
With that in mind, Conte might need to either keep hold of some players he does not want or make space for academy talent. The end result is that Spurs will either have to sign less players or go into European competition with a smaller squad. UEFA squad rules dictate that as quad must have a minimum quota for nation-trained and club-trained players; at the moment, Spurs do not really meet that criterion.
That means that Conte and co. might need to find some kind of agreement or concession on what parts of the squad can wait. The return to action of Oliver Skipp could be very important, as it could give Conte a young player from the academy that he can actually make space for. The same goes for the likes of Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett.
Can Conte make the squad work without losing patience?
The challenge for Spurs is two-fold; they need to build a squad that meets the ambition of Conte, all the while staying in-balance with UEFA regulations. This is a hard balancing act to manage for the club, and it could become a bone of contention in the summer. After all, Conte is not exactly known for being conciliatory when it comes to getting things done; could be become a hard person to deal with in this particular issue?
The coach has almost done Spurs a favour by sticking around, and his impact has been clear as the club looks close to a UEFA Champions League return after a stabilising midweek. With so many squad building challenges to overcome, though, the challenge remains clear – keeping Conte happy is something that other boards have found impossible.
With the fact that concessions might need to be made to get the squad he wants, Spurs might fear that Conte could leave rather than put up with the hassle. Having done do well to land Conte in the first place, several spells of awful squad-building could soon see a problem emerge for the club.
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