Club football is back on the agenda and for Tottenham that means so too is Antonio Conte‘s contract situation. It’s Groundhog Day in north London… again.
This was never likely to be a straightforward arrangement. Throughout Conte’s 13-month spell in charge, there has been constant speculation over his future, peaking after the misery of Mura and the tumult at Turf Moor.
His contract signed last November will expire in June and despite talks over an extension taking place since the start of the season, no agreement has been reached.
Although Spurs are believed to have the power to prolong the Italian’s stay by an additional 12 months – which would take him to the end of the 2023-24 campaign – attempting to keep an emotional manager against his will would be akin to pouring a can of fuel on top of a raging bonfire. Unless certain assurances are met, Conte will walk.
The timing of this development is unsurprising with the transfer window looming. Conte spent last January imploring Daniel Levy to add players to his squad, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski eventually arriving on deadline day from Juventus. Both played crucial roles as Spurs gatecrashed the top four.
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Only once Champions League qualification had been secured and guarantees given over subsequent investment – Spurs brought in seven players including Richarlison for a club-record £60m this summer – did Conte agree to stay on for this season.
Despite nine players joining under Conte’s watch, there remain deficiencies in the squad, most glaringly at right wing-back, that he will expect to be addressed over the coming weeks. Another busy January could be in store.
Conte has persistently stressed the importance of further evolution, stating after a 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in October that Spurs need “more transfer markets to reach a good level” and after a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United shortly after that “time and patience” was needed to bring the squad to a suitable level to compete for honours.
Spurs are fourth in the Premier League, face AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League, host Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round, but are out of the Carabao Cup.
The problem for Levy, the man who gambled the house and the Bahamas holiday home on Conte amidst the most turbulent period in Tottenham’s recent history, is that his manager is not renowned for patience. During his managerial career, Conte has spent, on average, 505 days in a job; he will reach that milestone at Spurs in March. His longest spell in charge of any team was three years at Juventus almost a decade ago.
How long Conte has spent in each job
- Arezzo – 122 days
- Arezzo (second spell) – 109 days
- Bari – 543 days
- Atalanta – 108 days
- Siena – 372 days
- Juventus – 1,141 days
- Italy – 681 days
- Chelsea – 742 days
- Inter – 726 days
- Spurs – 414 days and counting
Convincing a manager to commit to a club’s long-term future to a “project” sends a strong statement. Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are the two longest-serving managers in the Premier League and have signed extensions through to 2026 and 2025 respectively this calendar year.
Levy and his sporting director Fabio Paratici will be eager to get Conte to do likewise as proof of the club’s ambitions. They too need a project manager, rather than a short-term fixer to provide clarity and continuity. Kane for one is unlikely to want to resolve his own future until Conte’s has been sorted. The England captain’s contract is up in 2024.
Levy was aware of the risks when appointing Conte as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor, but correctly gauged that hiring him was worth it.
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Of Levy’s two-decade stint as Spurs chairman, 2021 was his annus horribilis. Jose Mourinho, his most high-profile manager, was sacked in April; the Super League plot angered and upset fans; Harry Kane, the club’s figurehead, agitated for a move; a calamitous search for a new manager ended in farce when Nuno was appointed as a glorified caretaker.
That sequence of events forced Levy into full-blown desperation mode, leading him back to Conte just months after he had turned down the job. Consequently, there has been a power imbalance from the very start. Conte has been emboldened to publicise his demands and air his grievances in a manner that none of his predecessors, including Mourinho, were able to. He holds the cards, not the other way around.
Although Conte has attracted criticism over his tactics, his team’s poor performances and results against “big six” rivals (and Newcastle) and his political posturing in press conferences, he retains popularity with the majority of the club’s fanbase.
So much so that if he decides to leave rather than stay, the bulk of the blame will land at Levy’s door.
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