Tottenham Hotspur are hopeful Antonio Conte will commit to a new extended contract as they hold talks this week in a bid to build a future under the Italian.
The 53-year-old took Spurs to a fourth place finish and a return to Champions League football last season and he has led the north London club to fourth again this campaign, three points off second-placed Manchester City at the mid-season World Cup break and in the last 16 in Europe after topping their group. Spurs hold an option to extend Conte's contract by another year beyond the original 18-month deal he signed when he joined the club in November 2021.
However, with Tottenham happy with the Italian's work at the club, chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici are keen to tie Conte down to a longer deal with fresh terms in north London. football.london understands that there is a belief within the club that the former Inter Milan and Chelsea boss is happy at Spurs and has been re-energised after a recent holiday with his family and that there is hope he will put pen to paper on a new deal.
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The discussions over his new deal will be tied in with strategy talks about the club's approach in the upcoming January transfer window as well as what comes next season with Tottenham's ambitions and just how far and how quickly they want to push on under Conte.
football.london understands that Spurs are ideally looking to bring in at least two new players in the January transfer window as Conte looks to bolster his defence and attacking creativity and any opportunities to upgrade existing fringe players will be examined in what is expected to be a busier than normal window across clubs in Europe thanks to the World Cup break and associated injuries.
The club have kept a close eye in recent years on Sporting right-back Pedro Porro, with the 23-year-old former Manchester City player a wide man Spurs like and he is represented by CAA Base, an major agency with close links to Tottenham. However, there remains some element of doubt as to whether physically he fits the mould required by Conte for his wing-backs.
Another aspect of talks this month within the club could also be the disconnect forming between the academy and first team. While Conte will often utilise youth players in training sessions that has not resulted in minutes for them in any competitions.
The Italian prefers a bigger ready-made squad of first team stars and his outlook on a young player's development differs from previous managers at the club. football.london understands that he expects the club's academy staff to develop their players to be in a position ready to slot in instantly to play first team football under him, rather than him play a role in that development.
For a chairman in Levy who has continually spoken about Spurs' DNA and promoting youth from their world class training complex, but has also overseen a club starved of trophies during his tenure, it marks something of a crossroads in the decision-making and what Tottenham want to come next. The fans are understandably desperate for silverware but the academy also risk losing some of their better players in the coming seasons without a pathway to the first team.
Conte said last month that the meeting between the three men would be key to deciding the next step of his relationship with the club.
"After the first part of the season it's right to have a meeting with the club and then to discuss about the positives things, the negatives things and how we can improve. Then we'll see what we can do. It depends always on the possibilities of the club and also the ambition, but for sure we'll speak," he said.
"We'll speak also to have a good evaluation about this first part of the season where I've seen a lot of positive things, but you know injuries and to play every three days, I think we struggled a lot. In future we have to try to improve, to be better to face this type of situation. This would be a good way in my opinion. Then we know very well we have to discuss with the club to make the right decision."
On his contract he added back then: "You know very well that my contract expires on June 30. I think until that moment the club has to make the best evaluation. I think everything you need to deserve. For this reason it'll be important to see the rest of the season what happen and if we're happy with the improvement we're doing, but every situation, it's important to deserve.
"In my opinion on my side, it's important for me professionally I have to feel I deserve to have a new contract and to sign a new contract with this club. I have to feel this, but for sure we'll talk with the club and we'll find the best solution."
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