Rio Ferdinand has warned Tottenham they must back Antonio Conte in the summer transfer window if they are to challenge towards the top of the Premier League next season.
This is after Spurs moved back into the top four with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Burnley on Sunday afternoon. However, they could drop back out of the Champions League places when bitter rivals Arsenal travel to Newcastle on Monday.
The battle for the final top-four place is guaranteed to go down the final day, and even if Tottenham miss out on a place in the top tier of European football, Ferdinand has warned Spurs that they need to keep Conte happy by backing him in the transfer market. Only Liverpool and Manchester City have accumulated more points than the Italian since he was appointed back in November.
The former Manchester United defender declared on BT Sport: "He's done enough to deserve that [backing]. Since he's been here he's third in points gained and goals scored, only behind the top two [Liverpool and City] who are running at the different level in the Premier League. He's brought this club to where they were at, confidence-wise.
"We watched them at Anfield and they put a performance there and you think, mentally, they're at it. He needs the reinforcement from the board, that commitment from the board financially. You have to bet on him. What he did with Chelsea coming here winning the league, Serie A, he's won the league there. I don’t think you can question this guy in terms of what he can bring. He can win things. This guy's a top-level manager."
Spurs secured their fourth successive Premier League win with Sunday's narrow victory over Burnley, having beaten Arsenal in a crucial North London Derby on Thursday. Harry Kane's first-half penalty proved to be the difference at the weekend as Tottenham moved two points clear of the Gunners in the league table.
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When Conte joined the club earlier in the season, Tottenham were ninth and struggling for form. The 52-year-old has managed to completely transform their fortunes around, despite making just two signings in January as Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur arrived from Juventus.
Conte, who guided Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first full season at Stamford Bridge in 2016-17, could be backed in the summer as his new side look to challenge at the top next term. A number of players have already been linked with a move to north London, including Dusan Vlahovic and Richarlison.
