Tottenham have reportedly offered Antonio Conte a contract he can’t refuse, which could see the Italian manager take the helm in north London.
A number of reputable sources out of Italy, including La Stampa, are reporting that Conte is expected to leave Inter within days.
Conte won the Serie A title with Inter, which has large sectors of the population shaking their heads at the latest rumours. Why would he leave a championship-winning side, a team bound for another run at the Champions League, for Tottenham, a team bound for the Europa Conference League, Europe’s third tier competition?
The answer is an incredibly lucrative contract. Currently on about £11 million a season, Levy has purportedly offered the Italian upward of £17 million to take the job in north London.
The Italian media has jumped all over the rumours, making this story harder and harder to ignore. In turn, English media, including the Metro and the Evening Standard, are pumping forcefully the Conte-to-Spurs tyres.
Conte has publicly become disillusioned with the financial situation in Milan, with the club, along with other factors, crippled by the pandemic. Players are expected to be asked to take a pay cut, leaving Conte wondering whether he’ll get any access to money for transfers. The answer, likely, is no.
That, along with a few other reasons, now has him pegged as Tottenham’s next manager. The rumours are so compelling some believe he will be named Tottenham manager before the commencement of Euro 2020.
Along with a massive financial windfall, it is also being reported that Levy has promised Conte full control of transfers, saying a considerable amount of funds will be made available. I think we’ve heard this tale before.
Conte loved his quality of life in London while managing Chelsea, a point originally omitted from the main reasons Conte could join Spurs.
If these rumours come to fruition, it would be the second time in short succession that Spurs take on Chelsea’s sloppy seconds. Unlike the first, with the appointment of Jose Mourinho, I’m fully on board with the prospect of landing Conte as Tottenham’s next manager.
He brings a winning pedigree none of the other frontrunners — including Brendan Rodgers — have. He also conducts himself with an unparalleled level of passion and intensity that is currently, maybe more than anything else, required at Hotspur Way.