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Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is aiming to bring two ‘top-level players’ to the club in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Conte’s future
With Conte’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Italian is reportedly desperate for financial backing in January if he is going to commit his future to the club by signing a new deal, with the negotiations having now been underway for weeks.
After a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa on New Year’s Day, Tottenham are now two points off the Premier League top four, while they have also played one extra game than Manchester United, and so Daniel Levy is now at the stage where he needs to decide whether he is going to back his manager by making new signings in January.
The Latest: Jones’ comments
In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones detailed what Conte’s ‘main focus’ will be in the January window:
“His main focus, from what I understand, is just making sure he has two more top, top-level players coming in this month so that he can raise the bar of the starting XI and increase what they are likely to be able to achieve this season. Of course, squad depth matters, but ultimately, it’s about having players of a higher level generally, which is what he’s looking for.”
The Verdict: Signings needed?
If Tottenham are to stand any chance of achieving another top-four finish this season, Levy must provide his manager with the ‘top players’ that he has requested, and he now seems willing to do so.
The Daily Star report that Spurs are close to completing a £35m deal for Pedro Porro, who would be a nice upgrade on Emerson Royal, with the Spaniard sitting in the 99th percentile for shot-creating actions over the past year, averaging 4.61 per 90 minutes.
It is also clear that a new centre-back to partner Cristian Romero must be prioritised, as Conte’s side’s defensive woes have cost them on too many occasions this season, conceding first in each of their last seven successive matches, for the first time since 2010.
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