Conte says spending is up to Spurs board
TOTTENHAM head coach Antonio Conte says the club will have the “last word” over any potential activity in the January transfer window.
Conte, who arrived in north London in November, has met chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici to provide his assessment of the squad following his first two months in charge.
And, given the Italian has said there is an “important gap” between Spurs and the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, it seems likely that he will have asked for reinforcements.
“I spoke with the club and I had my thoughts about the situation and this is the most important thing,” he said ahead of tonight’s Carabao
Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea.
“Then the club has to decide the best way to go. I don’t have expectations. I am a coach and I know that we have to solve many problems.
“For me, the most important thing was speak to the club. I did this and now the club has to decide what we have to do.
“We’ll see the decision of the club, if we want to improve in other aspects or not. If there’s the possibility or not.
“It was a good meeting. A good meeting because the owner and Paratici, they started together this season from the start. I arrived in the middle of the season and for sure they know the situation much better than me.
“A good meeting, a good meeting to speak and tell them my thoughts about after two months I spent in Tottenham. It’s okay.
“Now I am working in the present. I can give this and then the decisions are for the club, not for me because the last word is always for the club.”
Spurs are understood to be trying to sign Adama Traore from Wolves, while they have been linked with a summer move for Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard, who will be a free agent.
Reports in Holland say that Ajax have made a bid for Steven Bergwijn, but Conte has suggested he wants to keep the Dutch winger at the club as he offers something different to Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane.
“Honestly, Bergwijn, he knows very well what I think about him,” Conte added. “I consider him a player that can play in all three roles, as a No.9 and as a No.10 as well.
“For sure, Bergwijn is a Tottenham player and he’s very close to coming back. I think that after the game against Chelsea, he can start having training sessions with us. I count on him, also because he’s a player with different characteristics to Sonny, Lucas and then Harry.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea are weighing up the calculated “gamble” of pitching Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kante into the semi-final.
Boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Silva and Kante have completed their Covid-19 isolation but the influential Blues duo must still test negative again to return to training.
Asked if Silva and Kante would be ready to play so soon after isolation, Tuchel replied: “I don’t know actually, I have to wait if they are in training this afternoon and then let’s see how they respond to the training.
“It’s a gamble, if we do it it’s a gamble and I’m not sure if we do it and how much of a responsibility we can take there.”