The attractiveness of the Antonio Conte ‘project’ is set to be tested in the final days of the transfer window with Tottenham still hoping to make a number of big-money moves for players who initially may only be squad players.
At previous clubs, the Italian manager has focused on his first eleven players, building a series of teams good enough to win their respective titles.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has persuaded Conte to build a more robust squad capable of success in the longer-term and with managing director of football Fabio Paratici he is working on improving the player pool on a one-in, one-out basis.
GORDON WON’T BE STOLEN AWAY IN A FLASH
Despite Sky Sports trumpeting an imminent £60m from Chelsea for Gordon, Football Insider reports that Tottenham have done a lot of behind-the-scenes groundwork to bring him to the opposite side of the capital.
Everton have already rejected a £45m bid from Stamford Bridge but this latest development would be hard to resist. However, Tottenham believe they have established through the football grapevine that Gordon himself is keen on a move to White Hart Lane.
Playing off Harry Kane would enhance his England international prospects while his hard-running counter-attacking style is in keeping with rivals for a first-team place such as Heung-Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski, giving Conte the squad rotation he desires. In true last-minute Levy style, don’t be surprised if Tottenham make a late run to strike a deal.
SURPRISE JAMES MOVE COULD FREE UP GIL
Recruiting strong wide players remains something of an obsession for Conte and having shown little faith in Bryan Gil since taking over, the Spurs manager - egged on by Paratici - is looking at Dan James as a possible improvement.
The Leeds player is valued at £25m and, according to Football.London, is particularly admired by Tottenham’s managing director of football.
Although deployed as a winger largely since his move to Elland Road, James is a more natural wing-back or could potentially cover in midfield. A lack of cover is currently all that is preventing Gil completing a loan move back to Spain with Valencia.
TANGANGA GOING
The revolving door policy designed to keep squad size constant could be helped if at the same time as signing a player from Leeds, Levy could persuade the Yorkshire club to take one in return.
Well,luckily Leeds have joined a growing list of admirers for Japhet Tanganga, who has failed to convince Conte that the promising start he made at the club is the sign of a bright future. Instead, Conte is willing to trade the home-grown defender, with Milan, Newcastle and Everton watching, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.
