Bren: Hard for Conte to ignore PSG
BRENDAN RODGERS has warned that Spurs will have a fight on their hands to keep hold of Antonio Conte if Paris Saint-Germain come calling.
Leicester City’s boss suggested that the Italian’s track record suggests he wants to work with the very best — and the Qatar-backed club ooze star quality.
From Sergio Ramos in defence to
Marco Verratti in midfield and Lionel Messi up front, the galaxy of stars has made the PSG job one of the best in world football.
And Conte’s name was front and centre in the French press this week as potential replacements were touted for under-fire Argentine chief Mauricio Pochettino.
And although Conte, 52, has dismissed the speculation as ‘fake news’, Rodgers said: “Some coaches only want to work with the very best and Antonio strikes me as someone who wants to do that.
“At Juve, he had a great spell there with some excellent players. Then he came into Chelsea who were strong — and did very well there, too.
“He’s talked himself at Tottenham about how he wants more top players. That’s something we’d all love — but it doesn’t always work out like that.”
Rodgers is likely to mix and match his line-up in north London ahead of the Europa Conference League semi-final against Roma on Thursday.
However, it is unlikely he will tinker too much at the back with Wesley Fofana back from a long-term lay-off.
The Foxes are among Harry Kane’s favourite victims — he has scored 18 times in 17 outings against them — but Rodgers has been given comfort by Fofana’s return.
He said: “Wesley will develop into a world-class central defender. He’d only played 17 games before we took him from St Etienne.
“Once he gains experience with his positioning, he will go on to be one of the elite centre-halves in world football.”