Tottenham are on the verge of naming Antonio Conte as their new boss.
Spurs are in advanced talks with the Italian manager after he left Inter Milan last week as they look to make a bold statement following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.
Conte has brought trophies with him wherever he has gone as a manager including Chelsea and, most recently Inter, who he guided to the Serie A title last season.
Spurs are in desperate need of reinforcements if they are to compete for silverware as well as holding onto Harry Kane.
And Daniel Levy has promised Conte he will be provided funds to strengthen the squad in the transfer market and fight to retain the England captain.
(Image: GETTY)
Conte also has an extensive contacts book he can tap into that could be crucial in persuading players to come to Spurs.
Here’s five players he has previously worked with who could be available this summer.
Milan Skriniar
(Image: Inter via Getty Images)
It’s no secret that Spurs are in need of a new centre-back after a dismal defensive season in the Premier League.
Joachim Anderson and Milan Skriniar have both been identified as targets, but the latter was always going to be the more difficult of the two to orchestrate.
But Conte’s acquisition could tip the scales in the other direction as the 26-year-old might be enticed by the prospect of linking up with the Italian once again.
Conte deployed Skriniar at the heart of Inter’s defence on 48 occasions during the season and was the focal point of the backline that led the San Siro club to the Scudetto.
Spurs were seemingly priced out of a move for Skrinier, but it could be back on the table with Conte’s arrival.
Ivan Perisic
(Image: Getty Images)
Perisic is another Inter star that Conte might be interested in reuniting with as his future remains up in the air.
The Croatian was another regular in his side last term and continues to operate at a high level at the age of 32.
He finished the season in fine form with two goals in his last six games and is primed to star for his country in the Euros this summer, just like he did at the World Cup in 2018 as Croatia made it to the final.
Gazzetta dello Sport claimed last month Perisic was ‘almost certain’ to leave the Nerazzurri as his huge salary adds to Inter’s financial issues.
Conte is clearly a fan of the versatile midfielder and with a year left on his deal, this could be a feasible option for Spurs.
Nemanja Matic
(Image: Pool via REUTERS)
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The Serbian was an integral part of the Chelsea side that won the title during Conte’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, before leaving for Manchester United in the summer of 2017.
And with the holding midfielder surplus to requirements at Old Trafford behind the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might be willing to part ways with the 32-year-old.
Roma are frontrunners for his signature as Jose Mourinho looks to reunite with his trusted former player, but Spurs could hijack that deal under Conte.
Matic would be a quality addition in midfielder alongside Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and he could fancy joining up with the Italian once again after their successful partnership at Chelsea.
Olivier Giroud
(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Another Blue Conte could go for is Olivier Giroud.
The Frenchman joined up with Conte for his last six months at Chelsea in January 2018 and is now poised to leave the London club as a free agent.
He is rumoured to be heading to AC Milan but nothing is set and stone yet and Spurs would be a good landing spot for the veteran talisman despite his Arsenal ties.
It might not be a statement signing that would cause fans to fall off their chairs, but the striker is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League and still has plenty left in the tank.
Spurs have long struggled to find a suitable back-up to Kane and alleviate the pressure on him in front of goal.
Giroud is the perfect solution to that problem. and should be seriously considered.
Christian Eriksen
(Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)
Some Spurs fans might need to dig deep to forgive Christian Eriksen after he joined Inter in January 2020, but if they can put that behind them, they should welcome him back with open arms.
The Dane making his return to Tottenham is admittedly a long shot but stranger things have happened.
Eriksen has struggled to replicate the form he showed in England with Inter and has not adjusted well to life in Italian football.
He was linked with an exit in January and no player is safe this summer with Inter’s well-documented money problems.
Conte might not have got the best out of him, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be open to working with him again.
There’s no doubt Spurs have missed his creativity since he left and that they would be better off with him back in their team.
