Tottenham Hotspur head coach Antonio Conte is set for a meeting to finalise his January transfer window plans, he has confirmed.
Previously, the Italian coach had insisted he needed time to assess his squad before making a decision on any incomings or outgoings.
Conte is ready to make some big calls in JanuaryGetty
But after seven Premier League games undefeated, and some rotation in cup competitions, it appears he now knows exactly what he needs to improve his squad.
Asked if he had the assesment of his squad, Conte said: “Yes I think so. Not I think, I’m sure 100 per cent. I made the evaluation after two months of work with my players. For sure now the situation is more clear than before.
“I am waiting to have a meeting with the club and then also to give my opinion about the squad and what I think about our situation. For sure I am waiting for a meeting.”
And incomings certainly appear on the radar, he added: “After only two weeks, I said we need to improve the quality of the squad and for sure we need to improve the quality of this squad. I was sure after seven days, ten days, two weeks about this. Then I made evaluations to understand which players I could count on and which players I can’t.
Will Conte finally bring in another centre-forward to offer cover for Harry Kanegetty
“For sure, the squad needs to improve quality but in an important way. Before we think about a place in the UEFA or Conference League because in this League the level is very high. Now we’re in the middle and we have to think to build something important. For this reason, I ask for patience and time because now the gap is very large and we need to work a lot, and also to try to build. And also improve the quality of the squad.”
One outgoing, though, could well be £55million signing Tanguy Ndombele.
The Frenchman, despite his clear talent on the ball, has never truly settled into the Tottenham team. Since his arrival in 2019, managers Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte have all failed to find a regular place for the 24-year-old.
Asked about Ndombele’s place in his plans, the Italian said: “He’s a midfielder and I think he’s a midfielder.
Ndombele has struggled to make an impression under Conte, despite an assist against LiverpoolGetty
“I pay the same attention to every player and in every single session I pay great attention to every single player. My concentration is not only 12, 13 or 14 players. Then there are players that understand and players who need more time or find it difficult to understand the situation.”
And when asked if he will leave in January, he continued: “But I repeat before to speak about the transfer market, it’s better for me and the club to speak together and then we’ll have the situation more clearer than now. To speak about players now whether they can come or go is not right and it’s not honest.”
One player who has impressed Conte, though, is Harry Winks.
The midfielder, who has 10 caps for England, has struggled in recent years and had looked like he would leave north London sooner rather than later.
Winks is now getting back to his bestGetty
Under his new manager, however, Winks is putting in good displays and starred against Southampton in the absence of Oliver Skipp.
A delighted Conte told his press conference: “Winksy is playing well. Winsky showed to be a reliable player. For this reason, Winks will stay here.
“I’m finding out which players are reliable and I can count on them. Winksy showed me I can count on him.”
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