According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur and head coach Antonio Conte have started contract negotiations. In November of last year, the 53-year-old succeeded Nuno Espirito Santo as manager, and he successfully led Spurs back into the Champions League after they finished fourth in the Premier League the previous year.
With the support of the Tottenham hierarchy during the summer transfer window, Conte was able to sign seven players to permanent contracts for a total of about £150 million. As a result, his team is currently third in the Premier League standings and first in their Champions League group with one match remaining.
Although some club supporters have expressed concern over recent performances, The Athletic reports that Spurs and Conte are in talks about extending his contract.
The Italian’s current contract expires in the summer of 2019, but Spurs reportedly have the option to extend it by an additional year. According to the source, Tottenham is hopeful that Conte will reach a new agreement on contract conditions with the team.
The longest tenure in Conte’s coaching career was the three years he was in command of Juventus between 2011 and 2014. His previous three management positions with Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Italy saw him stay for little more than two years each.
Antonio Conte to extend his stay at Tottenham
In fact, Conte’s prospective return to Juventus has been discussed recently. According to one source, the Serie A giants will try to sign Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio in an effort to entice Conte back to the team.
Although Massimiliano Allegri presently oversees the Old Lady, his job in the dugout has recently been under jeopardy as a result of the team’s dismal start to the season.
Pavel Nedved, a vice president for Juventus, has dismissed rumours that Conte will replace Allegri, and the Spurs manager has called the rumours “disrespectful.”
Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Conte said:
“This is incredible. In this period I think this is disrespectful for the coach that works in Juventus and for me working in Tottenham.
“We have just started the season. Many times I have spoken about this topic and I’ve always said I’m happy and enjoying my time with Tottenham. We have the whole season to find the best solution for the club and for me, and for sure, I’m enjoying my time at Tottenham.
“I have a great relationship with the owner and [Fabio] Paratici (Spurs managing director of football). I don’t see any problems at the moment in the future. We both signed the contract. I don’t want to listen to someone speaking about this [speculation].”
While in command of Tottenham, Conte has overseen 54 games in all competitions, winning 31, drawing 9, and losing 14.
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