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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Chris Doyle

Antonio Conte primed to use familiar blueprint that can seal four Tottenham transfers

Antonio Conte is set to use his tried and tested methods with one week left of the January transfer window.

The Tottenham boss is still waiting to make his first signing since arriving at the club but that is set to change.

Spurs are hoping to free up funds from the departures of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso and reinvest them into the squad.

The Italian understands the difficulty of adding quality players in January but conceded the squad needs quality arrivals to improve as he pleaded with Daniel Levy.

"This is not the right moment and also to speak in front of the media. The club know very well what I think," he said.

"The time we need to close this gap, there is not one transfer market, I think the last few years the gap became very, very big and now it is not simple to find the solution in a short time.

"For this reason, I am only focused with the players to work until the end and then we'll see. We have four months to give everything, but if we think we solve with the transfer market it is not a reality.

"You need many years. For sure you have to start, the level of the squad has to improve."

Where Conte starts remains to be seen but there is a good chance it is in Italy, a place he is very familiar with after winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan last season.

Here are four players Spurs could target from Serie A.

Antonio Conte speaks to the media during a Tottenham press conference (Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Have Your Say! Should Spurs part ways with N'Dombele, Lo Celso and Dele Alli? Comment here.

Milan Skriniar

Spurs are in desperate need of a centre-half as they continue to struggle from the exit of Toby Alderweireld.

The north Londoners have not been able to fill that void but Milan Skriniar could be the answer.

The defender has impressed for Inter Milan in recent seasons and as he enters the final year of his contract in the summer, there is an opportunity for Tottenham to pounce.

Skriniar was integral under Conte during Inter's title run as he utilised his renowned 3-5-2 set-up, which means he wouldn't take long to adjust to his system and style of play.

Franck Kessie

With Ndombele seemingly on his way out of Spurs, Conte will need a new midfielder, but in reality, it's something they've been crying out for all season.

It's been reported that Conte's number one target is Franck Kessie who has made a name for himself at AC Milan.

Conte got a front-row seat of his qualities during various Milan derbies and clearly likes what he sees.

Kessi won't come cheap, but he could be worth breaking the bank for.

Franck Kessie is a Spurs target (AFP via Getty Images)

Joakim Maehle

Joakim Mæhle showed what he was all about as the spotlight came on Denmark during their historic Euro 2020 run.

The Atalanta full-back was like a freight train as he stormed up and down the flanks with his rampaging runs.

Maehle has an eye for goal with a brilliant final ball to match - scoring seven goals in total for Denmark since the beginning of Euros - but he doesn't forget about the defensive side of the game either.

He's exactly the type of player Tottenham need given their struggles at the position as well as perfectly complementing Conte's style of play.

Joakim Maehle in action for Denmark (UEFA via Getty Images)

Fabian Ruiz

Fabian Ruiz is another player who would sit in nicely beside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg if Kessie is unattainable.

The tidy playmaker has excelled for Napoli and doesn't have any holes in his game in what you would consider an all-around midfielder.

At 25, he will keep improving and would be a sound investment for Spurs.

He wouldn't come on the cheap, however, but sometimes you get what you pay for.

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