Who are Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Transfer Targets?
It took them longer than planned but Tottenham Hotspur have finally got their man. Former Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte had been offered the manager’s job at Spurs in the summer but he turned it down for reasons that are open to conjecture.
Nuno Espirito Santo stepped into the breach but was sacked after a disappointing four months in charge. Finally, Conte accepted Tottenham’s offer and the Italian has a big job on his hands after the club’s poor start to the new season.
The Task in Hand
Espirito Santo left Spurs after five wins and five defeats from his opening ten league games. It’s a record that leaves Tottenham in ninth, adrift from the European qualification places. The first task for new manager Conte will be to get Spurs back into the top four where Champions League football is guaranteed for the following campaign.
It won’t be easy and Spurs have little support from among the sportsbooks. Sbo.net are indicating that online best betting sites have Tottenham Hotspur down as seventh favourites to finish inside of the top four at the end of the 2021/22 season. Ahead of them are Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham United.
An improvement in form under Antonio Conte would see those odds shorten and Sbo.net will be on hand to update on any market changes. Articles relating to the Premier League and on football in general can be taken in while readers can also get involved with those betting markets if they so wish.
It’s possible to register with any of the panel of sportsbooks affiliated with the website and customers can access a welcome package which includes a promotion and a choice of funding methods. Other markets, besides the Top Four EPL finish, are published while fast and efficient customer service is among the list of additional advantages.
There may be few takers on Spurs to finish inside that top four but Antonio Conte has the power to change popular opinion.
Striker Eyed
The European transfer window will open again in January and that will give Conte the first chance to shape his own squad. One of the players believed to be on his radar is Fiorentina’s Serbian international striker Dusan Vlahovic who Conte will know well from his days in Serie A.
Vlahovic has been prolific for his side this season and it is believed that he wants to leave Fiorentina by the end of the campaign. Reports claim that Vlahovic is wanted as Conte’s first signing but there is likely to be competition from Liverpool and others.
Closer to home, Tottenham have previously been linked with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Everton. The search for a striker could well depend on the future of Harry Kane but Conte will undoubtedly want more of an attacking edge within the squad.
Options in Midfield
Many Spurs fans are unhappy that the club has failed to adequately replace Christian Eriksen who left to join Conte’s old club Inter Milan in 2020. One player who was heavily mentioned in the summer was Spanish international winger Adama Traore but it’s believed that Tottenham failed to meet a valuation of £45 million.
Traore is an exciting, yet erratic talent who has great dribbling skills but isn’t always capable of delivering a killer final ball. There may be less chance of a switch to Spurs now that his former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has left the club but Conte may well want to check him out.
In the heart of the midfield, Ivory Coast international Franck Kessie is believed to be a current target for Conte and the Spurs board. He’s only 24 but has enjoyed a long professional career and is a reliable figure in the AC Milan starting XI. Once again, it’s believed that Tottenham will have competition from other English clubs.
Defence is less of a concern for Spurs but this could be an area where Conte will want to bring in a centre back at the very least. With Hugo Lloris in goal and Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon down the flanks, there is plenty of existing talent at the back.
