'We on paper weakened it' - Antonio Conte on Tottenham Hotspur business in January transfer window
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Updated 16/02/2022 at 21:34 GMT
"It is inevitable that if you want to grow quicker and if you want to be competitive more rapidly, you need players with a lot of experience" - Antonio Conte believes Spurs need experience to win competitions but says he understands the club prefer to develop and nurture youth talent. Spurs lost three experienced players during the January transfer window, signing two young players
Antonio Conte
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Antonio Conte says he now understands the transfer philosophy at Tottenham but admits it could be at odds with winning trophies quickly.
Conte lost experienced players such as Dele Alli to Everton in January, with Tanguy Ndombele, Bryan Gil and Giovani Lo Celso also leaving the club on loan.
Spurs brought in 24-year-old Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus, but Conte says the club's desire to develop young talent could slow down the path to trophies.
“What happened in January was not easy. We lost four players in January. Four important players for Tottenham, and we brought in only two," Conte said.
“So even just in terms of numbers, rather than reinforce the squad, we on paper weakened it. Bentancur and Kulusevski are ideal prospects for Tottenham, because Tottenham are seeking young players they can develop and grow, not players who are ready. That is the issue.”
“This is the vision and the philosophy of the club. It is inevitable that if you want to grow quicker and if you want to be competitive more rapidly, you need players with a lot of experience, because they also raise the experience level of the overall team.
“But I repeat, I have realised now that this is the vision of the club.”
Conte signed an 18-month deal with Spurs in November, taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo.
While the beginning of his tenure saw an upturn in fortunes, the club have since struggled to establish themselves in the top four.
And Conte drew comparisons with the beginning of his time at Inter Milan where he similarly took over a team in a trophy drought.
“It’s always difficult to make comparisons," he added. "But if I had to find something similar, it would be the lack of confidence that is inevitable when you start work at a club that hasn’t won in a long time."
“I saw some situations from the outside that could be developed, but when you get into it, you realise other things."
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