Antonio Conte 'unconvinced' by Tottenham manager offer
By Tom Gott
Former Inter manager Antonio Conte has slowed down talks with Tottenham amid fears the squad is simply too far away from competing for major silverware.
After seeing Mauricio Pochettino's PSG contract extended for an extra season, Spurs set their sights on Conte and were believed to be feeling good about their chances of hiring the Italian, who won the Premier League title with Chelsea in 2017.
It was all looking so good until Gianluca Di Marzio popped up with the bombshell revelation that talks have now hit a major bump in the road because of Conte's significant concerns about the quality of the playing squad.
Conte had requested significant transfer funds to rebuild a Spurs side that finished last season 24 points off top spot, but it is now thought that the Italian does not believe Spurs can bridge the gap to Manchester City in the near future.
Not only is Conte concerned about their inability to compete for silverware in 2021/22, but the boss believes it could take a good few years before Spurs are actually competitive in England, and he is not exactly thrilled by the idea of getting stuck in a gritty rebuild.
As it stands, Conte is leaning towards declining Spurs' offer in favour of waiting for a more accomplished team to knock on his door.
Conte had also asked chairman Daniel Levy to promise him that striker Harry Kane will not be sold this summer. The England captain has voiced his desire to leave this summer because of his own fears about a lack of silverware opportunities, and it seems as though that fear has infected Conte.
A move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has not been officially ruled out yet, but talks have cooled significantly, and the chances of Conte joining the club are now nowhere near as great as they were just a few hours ago.
The revelation comes shortly after Juventus chief Fabio Paratici, who has been linked with his own move to Tottenham this summer, did his best to distance himself from the rumours.
"I don’t think this is the right time to talk about other clubs," he told his press conference when asked about a move to Spurs.