Ben Davies admits Tottenham are targeting the Premier League's top two after signing a new deal to extend his contract until 2025.
The Wales international moved to Spurs from Swansea eight years ago but has never been as integral to the starting XI as he currently finds himself, on the left side of Antonio Conte's back three. He did not need to think twice about adding an additional 12 months onto his previous deal.
That's because Davies believes Spurs, after a summer of big spending to strengthen a squad that finished fourth last season, are only looking upwards under their Italian manager. Conte has been backed in the transfer market by the club's hierarchy, and the demanding former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss has no intention of just aiming for the top four.
“After last season and the summer this club has had there is no more exciting time than right now to be at this club,” he told SpursPlay. “I was enjoying my football and when the opportunity came to extend my contract I was more than happy to do so.
"This is a significant amount of time in football, especially when a career is quite short and in football people move around a lot, so it is an honour to still be here and keep it going."
Davies, 29, has made 271 appearances in all competitions and his 58 in Europe put him in the club’s top-five all-time list. The Welshman is likely to face extra competition this season after the arrival of Clement Lenglet, who has joined on loan from Barcelona as a left-footed centre-half.
Lenglet is one of six new arrivals so far at the club. Richarlison joined from Everton in a £60million deal while Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma joined for £25million too. Djed Spence agreed on a £13m switch from Middlesbrough with Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster both arriving on free transfers from Inter and Southampton respectively.
All in all, they are moves designed to see Spurs not just close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City, but to challenge them. With Harry Kane turning 29 this week and Heung-min Son having recently hit 30, time is ticking for Spurs to make the most of their two star men and finally lay claim to silverware. With Conte at the helm, it is no longer about winning in the future, but about winning now.
“We’ve brought players in we hope will improve us as a squad and make us more competitive throughout the season," says Davies.
"It will be a pretty jam-packed schedule around the World Cup so we need everyone to play their part. It’s a very exciting time and a season we are all looking forward to.”
