Tottenham Hotspur look set for a busy summer transfer window with Italian manager Antonio Conte reportedly informing chairman Daniel Levy that the club need to sign as many as six new players.
That’s according to a recent report from the Telegraph, who claims Conte is keen to reinforce several first-team positions.
Since arriving in London at the end of last year following his shock departure from Serie A champions Inter Milan, the no-nonsense Italian’s approach to managing back in the Premier League has worked wonders on Spurs, who looked to be struggling under former boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Taking over and immediately dragging the side up the Premier League table, the Lilywhites now find themselves in contention to qualify for Champions League football next season – something which looked virtually impossible earlier in the campaign.
However, in order to turn the side from a top-four team into a side capable of challenging for some of the sport’s biggest trophies, Conte must add more quality to his ranks and it has been suggested that he wants a new centre-back, right wing-back, striker, reserve goalkeeper and two new midfielders.
The Italian’s shortlist could be trimmed down to five new players after a recent report from the Evening Standard claimed the club have decided to sign Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent deal from Juventus in a deal worth £33.2m.
When it comes to possible outgoings, two players who could make room for new signings is Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn, who are both facing uncertain futures.
Speaking recently about the possibility of fans seeing the attacking duo depart this summer, journalist Alasdair Gold admitted it is on the cards.
“There was a couple of times he did classic Lucas, where he ran past maybe one person and just gave the ball straight to the opposition. I think Bergwijn sees that and he probably thinks, ‘What? What have I got to do to get on that pitch earlier?’, Gold said on the ‘Guest and Gold Talk Tottenham’ podcast.
“Lucas isn’t proving why he deserves to come on. There’s a part of me that is starting to wonder whether both end up going in the summer. I’m starting to wonder that.
“If I’m Steven Bergwijn, I don’t stick around next season. I don’t. Because I’ve got, in Ajax – especially if they match the bid that Spurs want – Ajax are desperate to get Steven Bergwijn back to the Netherlands. He will start every single match for them. I could totally understand if he felt, ‘yeah, I want to go back and be truly loved at a club.’”