The idea that Antonio Conte might walk out on Tottenham Hotspur is gathering pace after the Italian’s explosive interview with media from his homeland.
It appears that Conte has begrudgingly accepted that he won’t be able to get the type of players he requires through the door at White Hart Lane, principally because Daniel Levy retains a tight hold on the purse strings.
The chairman needs to listen hard to Conte’s latest outburst and read between the lines.
If Levy genuinely does want Tottenham to be a force in the modern game, Conte is the man to get them there, but he has to be backed in the transfer market.
Should the chairman be unwilling or unable to do so, then he and Spurs’ long-suffering supporters will have to be content in knowing that they’ll never be part of Europe’s elite under the current ownership.
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Conte does have an ally in his opponent in the dugout on Saturday, however, Man City’s Pep Guardiola.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Pep believes it the North Londoners stick with their current incumbent, he will bring them success.
“I learn a lot watching his teams, the movement, the club rely on him 100% and his ideas. If they [Tottenham] rely on him 100% they will have success. In my first season it was tough against him,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
“[…] We know how difficult this country is. I have incredible respect because when I watch his teams I learn something new.”
Conte’s success at Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan speak of a serial winner, and Levy surely can’t even consider the notion of allowing him to walk away.
As the custodian of the club, that would surely be the biggest mistake of his tenure to date.