It was an expected yet rather shocking piece of news we witnessed on Monday. Following yet another defeat to Manchester United, Tottenham sent Nuno Espirito Santo packing, and the club is now reportedly close to signing Antonio Conte as his replacement.
We previously reported that Nuno’s future was already in major doubt following a third successive defeat.
A litany of mistakes by Daniel Levy and Tottenham have landed the club in an unwanted spot. The North London club failed to heed the warnings of former manager Jose Mourinho concerning some players, and the old problem reared its ugly head again.
Before the Nuno sack, he complained of some players not being committed to the cause, issues Mourinho highlighted.
Some of the players believed not to be pulling their weight include Dele Alli and Ndombele. The new manager, when he arrives, will be saddled with the responsibility of getting the players in shape and delivering on their jobs.
Antonio Conte is the man that Levy wants to get the job done.
Conte set to join Spurs
In the summer, Tottenham had a torrid time in their quest to sign a new manager after the departure of Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho, who had led the North London side to the final of the Carabao Cup, was fired five days to the final and replaced by caretaker manager Ryan Mason.
Four months after the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo, the Portuguese has been sent packing, with the search for a new manager leading Spurs to Antonio Conte.
As per the Daily Mail, Tottenham’sctor of football Fabio Paratici has agreed a deal in principle with former Juventus boss Antonio Conte. The Italian has an 18-month contract with his overall salary for the period coming to around £20 million.
According to sources, Tottenham looked at the possibility of a 12-month extension option inserted into the deal.
Conte was on the club’s list for the summer but eventually rejected the chance due to pessimism over the club’s ambitions. The Italian was in London on Monday morning as he looked to finalize the deal. Bookmakers also have him as strong favorites to be appointed as new Spurs manager.
Nuno and other replacements
Nuno arrived the club’s training ground on Monday morning, where he received the news the club had decided to replace him.
The Portuguese manager was on a salary of £3 million a year and should receive compensation. The club has, however, placed him on gardening leave pending when he finds a new job.
Former Roma manager Paulo Fonseca was in the running for the job, but Spurs changedction amid the requirements needed at the club.
Should the Conte deal be concluded, Tottenham would have beaten Manchester United to the Italian’s signature.
Manchester United were under pressure to fire the ineffectual Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his disastrous Old Trafford thrashing at the hands of eternal rivals Liverpool. In the end, Ole seems to have extended his stay as United boss once again.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
