Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has given his verdict on Antonio Conte's future with Tottenham Hotspur after there was talk of him possibly leaving this summer.
The Lowdown: Conte exit talks
Sky Sports claimed there were rumblings coming out of Italy. The 'feeling' was that the Italian manager will leave the Premier League side at the end of the season when his contract expires.
Spurs appointed Conte last season following the sacking of previous boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who only took charge of the club in the summer of 2021.
The 53-year-old has been in charge of a number of clubs during his time as a manager, including Chelsea, Juventus, Inter Milan and Italy's national team.
The Latest: No signs from Conte
Romano spoke to the Last Word On Spurs and said that talks between Spurs and Conte will likely be held in April or May. He claimed that the Italian hasn't indicated any signs to the club that he wants to leave.
He stated (2:17), "So what I expect is that at the end of the season, maybe May, maybe end of April. Conte and Tottenham will speak about the general situation after the January transfer window, planning for the future to understand the mode of transition.
"Another other key point is going to be Conte's family. Antonio [Conte] wants to make sure that his family is happy with the situation in London, so there are many factors to make the final decision.
"But as of now, Conte has not communicated to Tottenham that he wants to leave, he's focusing on Tottenham."
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The Verdict: Prioritise Conte
We believe that Tottenham should look to extend Conte's deal at the end of the season and back him financially in the next window.
Former Spurs striker and now pundit Peter Crouch raved about him last October. He described Conte as 'most important part' of the overall project at the club when speaking to BT Sport (via The Daily Mail).
With a resume (including a Premier League trophy) like his, Tottenham have not had not many better at the helm in recent times. We believe that Conte is a winner and can lead the Lilywhites to trophies in the future.
It's unclear whether or not the signings made during his time at Spurs were his decision or done by the higher-ups at the club. In the case of Djed Spence, it's clear that the decision was made by Tottenham, not the Italian boss.
If they're to find success and really prosper, we believe Conte should get the decisions to decide on his own signings and then the board can then allocate him the money should a target become affordable.
There's certainly a lot of unrest surrounding Spurs at the moment, whether it be frustration at the board or the possibility of them missing out on the top four.
Conte's exit may well lead to further anger and frustration on some fans' part, but it would depend on who they would replace him with, should he decide to leave this summer.