CONTE CUTS OUT SPURS’ DEAD WOOD
ANTONIO CONTE took no prisoners on transfer Deadline Day jettisoning four players who have not come up to scratch during his three months in charge.
Dele Alli was the only player to have his White Hart Lane career permanently ended, expected to complete a move to Everton, but three other casualties were sent out on loan in a purge of the dressing room. Record signing Tanguy Ndombele was first out of the door, returning to his former club Lyon until the end of the season, with the option to make the move a £54.3million permanent transfer in the summer.
Bryan Gil then left for Valencia, with Giovani Lo Celso also heading to La Liga with a loan move to Villarreal.
Around 50 fans spent the day protesting against chairman Daniel Levy, waving banners outside the training ground entrance calling for the board to step down.
They feel a lack of investment has harmed the club’s fortunes since they reached the high of the Champions League final in 2019.
Against that backdrop, Levy was able to bring a couple of out-of-favour players from Conte’s former club Juventus.
Uruguay international Rodrigo Bentancur, 24, arrived for £15.8m in a deal that could rise to more than £20m with add-ons.
Dejan Kulusevski, 21, has arrived initially on an 18-month loan deal costing Spurs £8.35m and the Premier League club would have to pay an additional £30m if they want to make the deal permanent after that.