Tottenham ‘set to appoint Antonio Conte as their new manager’ after agreeing deal with Italian boss

Tottenham are reportedly set to appoint Antonio Conte as their new manager, with a move for ex-Juventus chief Fabio Paratici expected to be wrapped up at the same time.

Reports in Italy suggest Conte is on his way to London to finalise a move while talkSPORT have claimed that both have agreed to join Spurs following successful talks. 

Spurs have been in talks with Conte about their head coach vacancy, with the Italian seen as the front-runner to land the job. 

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy (left) has been searching for Jose Mourinho’s successor for more than a month

Paratici, who is also reportedly wanted by a number of top clubs, spent 11 years at Juventus, where he helped Conte guide the club back to the summit of Italian football.

Spurs are still without a manager despite sacking Jose Mourinho on April 19, having missed out on appointing their top two targets Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers. 

Importantly, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is behind the prospect of appointing the Italian, despite his history with one of his club’s arch rivals across the capital. 

Spurs have also explored the possibility of bringing back Mauricio Pochettino but luring him from his current position at Paris Saint-Germain is proving complex, despite the Argentine wanting a return to north London. 

The French club insist Pochettino is staying and even triggered an extra year on his contract, adding another layer of difficulty in extracting him.

Conte quit Inter Milan just weeks after masterminding their first Scudetto win in nine years

For Pochettino to be appointed, it would require the former Southampton boss to walk away from his job in Paris. Even then, Tottenham would be required to pay compensation to PSG on the notice period of his current contract.

Appointing Conte would prove a far simpler exercise given he is currently a free agent after leaving Inter Milan. The fact he has experience of the Premier League is an obvious attraction for Spurs, who have also considered Brighton’s Graham Potter and Erik ten Hag of Ajax.

Conte galvanised Chelsea when he arrived in 2016, lifting the Premier League title in his first season — seven points ahead of second-placed Spurs. But his combustible nature was never too far from the surface.  

His intensity was undoubtedly one of the key driving forces behind Chelsea’s form, while his early season decision to switch to a back-three was seen as a tactical masterstroke.

Conte’s fiery temperament, however, saw him clash with Diego Costa midway through their title-winning season over the then-Spain forward’s fitness and attempts to engineer a money-spinning move to China.

The 51-year-old Italian won the 2016-17 Premier League in his first season at Chelsea

Conte posted this photo onto Instagram on Wednesday with the caption: ‘It’s a nice day’

Conte entered into a series of blazing rows with Costa before leaving his influential goalscorer out of the squad for an extended period. He also infamously fell out with the club’s board over frustrations at his lack of control over Chelsea’s transfer strategy. His relationship with certain members of the club’s hierarchy was non-existent by the time he left Stamford Bridge in 2018.

Conte craves control — but history tells us he will not necessarily be afforded that luxury at Tottenham. 

Levy runs a tight ship; it may have to be even tighter in the coming months and years as the club pay for their new stadium and adapt financially due to the costs of covid.

Yet his proven track record of making an instant impact at clubs was not only apparent during his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, but also at Inter Milan where he won the Serie A title in his second campaign after finishing just one point behind all-conquering Juventus in his opening year.