Reports: Tottenham to back Conte with six new summer signings

If the stories and reports coming out in the English football media one day after the end of the Premier League season are any indication, Tottenham Hotspur could have an extremely fun and active offseason. Multiple media outlets, including the Telegraph, Football.London, and The Athletic (£) are reporting today that, having secured a spot in next year’s Champions League competition, Tottenham Hotspur are planning to back manager Antonio Conte with six new signings in order to convince him to stay at Spurs for an additional season.

Conte is already back in Italy after the conclusion of the Premier League season, one which he bootstrapped Spurs from somewhere around midtable to become one of the best clubs in England in the second half of the season. The Telegraph states that Managing Director of Football Fabio Paratici will fly down next week for talks with Conte and to outline Spurs’ proposed plan of attack for the summer. This includes, according to both sources, six new players that are a mix of young, up-and-coming talents with resale value (Spurs’ bread and butter) along with older, veteran, peak-level players in order to push to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool.

This is obviously the club briefing multiple reporters on the same basic story — Spurs are planning on opening the pocketbook this summer and will fully back their manager. What differs slightly is the spin on each of the stories. Alasdair Gold in Football.London’s spin is essentially “everything’s great, Conte’s going to be fully backed.” Perhaps predictably, Mike McGrath and Matt Law’s spin tends more to the “Spurs will back Conte in order to convince him not to leave.” Jack Pitt-Brooke splits the difference in The Athletic, hinting that it’s not a done deal, but not explicitly suggesting Conte is dissatisfied.

But no matter how you spin it, the point Tottenham want to get across in the media is that now’s the time to push the boat out into the water and start rowing. While the market is volatile and Spurs certainly won’t land all of their top targets, there’s a recognition that, with a full year of stadium finances, a world class coach on the sidelines, and Champions League football at the ready, now’s the time to invest in the squad.

It’s certainly a positive message, no matter how you spin it. The next step is to show intent by making a few signings early in the window — the new Premier League season begins on Sat. August 6 due to the winter World Cup in Qatar, while the transfer window doesn’t close until Monday, September 1. If Conte wants a full preseason with his new players, the onus is on Paratici and the club to identify, pursue, and sign those new additions as soon as possible.