Antonio Conte still wants to join Tottenham, ball in club’s court
By Gary Pearson
The latest round of negotiations ended with Tottenham and Antonio Conte unable to agree on a few sticking points, but hope remains the club can still land their preferred candidate.
The conversation between the two parties is still dormant after walking away from the negotiating table, with the possibility of discussions being revived based on whether Levy loosens his stance on Conte’s demands.
Conte is not budging on his key stipulations. He wants full autonomy of on-field decisions, a guarantee that Harry Kane is not sold, a bundle of cash to buy players he sees fit, a lucrative contract and the authority to bring his entire coaching team with him to Hotspur Way.
Antonio Conte has not changed his mind about Tottenham in the last 24 hours, after Spurs were trying to find a solution to appoint him also yesterday afternoon. Not even Fabio Paratici’s imminent agreement to become new Tottenham director of football convinced Conte. ⚪️❌ #THFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 5, 2021
I’m pretty sure he’s also requesting Levy’s kitchen sink, but those rumours are still unverified.
So the ball is once again in Tottenham’s court. Daniel Levy is said to be between £2 and £3 million short of Conte’s asking price. Additionally, Levy isn’t currently amenable to having Conte bring his entire staff with him.
🚨| There is great disappointment at #Spurs over Conte but also the belief that an important solution on the manager will soon be reached. There was a difference of approximately €3 million between the salary offered by #Tottenham and requested by Conte. [@FabrizioRomano]
— The Spurs Express (@TheSpursExpress) June 7, 2021
Conte isn’t budging on his laundry list of stipulations, so it’s up to Levy to concede on a few points in order to find a mutually beneficial accord. Though it’s not in Levy’s nature to convey a conciliatory tone, he might have to for the overall benefit of the club.
Some bookies’ odds of Conte taking the role have gone from 8/1 to 5/1 in the last 24 hours, providing added hope to Tottenham’s faithful.
Is the Conte demanding too much of the club?
Probably, but wouldn’t you when considering a move to a club that hasn’t won a trophy in almost 14 years?
If he is to come in and make a measurable and immediate impact, Conte must have everything his own way. If Levy truly wants to hire the Italian, he must make the aforementioned concessions and let Conte do what he does best.
Indeed Conte’s demands are abundant and inflexible, but that’s what you get when trying to procure one of the world’s most highly touted and successful managers. You can’t go halfway; you have to be all in. Something Levy has trouble comprehending in this case. Though he had no issue in similar circumstances when deciding to hire Jose Mourinho.
And if Levy can’t, for whatever reason, concede to Conte’s demands, Spurs’ manager hunt will go into an unprecedented eighth week.
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And rest assured, Tottenham will not get another chance to hire a manager of Conte’s elevated creed and status.