November 04, (THEWILL) – Antonio Conte has been backed by Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio to be a success at Tottenham Hotspur, but he has been told not to try to recruit any of his former players in January.
Conte departed Inter, the defending Serie A champions, in the summer and has now been confirmed as Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement following the sacking of the Portuguese after Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United over the weekend.
Since then, the transfer rumours mill has gone into overdrive claiming Conte is expected to sign a number of Inter players in January, with Stefan de Vrij, Milan Skriniar, and Marcelo Brozovic among those connected with moves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ausilio intends to not have it so. He said: “The intention is to move forward with this squad and in January no requests for possible transfers will be taken into consideration.
“We know that it is a team that has quality and that has a new coach who has taken over the group for a few months, so in the next transfer window we will only give continuity to what started in June. Then in the summer we will make other assessments, which will be the time to strengthen Inter, not to weaken.”
He did, however, take the opportunity to congratulate his former boss and wish him well on his return to the Premier League.
“I can say that I am happy, and I wish him the best for this new adventure,” Ausilio said. “I know how pleased he is to be able to work in the Premier League, how much passion and how many skills he has, and I’m sure he will do well with Spurs.”
Spurs are expected to back Conte in the next transfer windows as they attempt to avenge a five-game losing streak that has left them ten points behind league leaders Chelsea and five behind fourth-placed West Ham.
As Spurs prepare to switch to a three-man defence, a new center-back is expected to be on the table, but sources from Italy indicate Conte is aiming to shake up the entire squad.
Skriniar, De Vrij, and Inter teammate Alessandro Bastoni have all been mentioned as possible defensive targets, as has Matthijs de Ligt of Juventus, although it is unclear whether any of them would be interested in joining Spurs.
Brozovic and AC Milan’s Franck Kessie have been mentioned as midfield possibilities, while Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina is said to be Conte’s primary priority for attacking reinforcements.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
