Antonio Conte’s transfer history scrutinized as Tottenham boss pleads with Daniel Levy

Antonio Conte has made it clear that he will need considerable support if he is to successfully help Tottenham Hotspur become a club capable of competing for trophies.

Fears are growing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over whether Antonio Conte could leave the club if he is not well supported.

The Italian is one of Spurs’ most impressive appointments in recent years and is seen as the man who could bring the club back in the hunt for silverware.

However, with his current generation of players, Conte hasn’t been shy about making it clear that he won’t be able to achieve those goals, stressing that he needs to be well supported in the transfer markets.

Still, there seems to be some reluctance on Daniel Levy’s part to pursue the cases Conte has instructed.

But does Levy have good reason to put big-budget moves on hold? Football Mirror took a look at Conte’s transfer activities at his last two clubs.

InterMilan

Despite only spending two years at Inter, Conte hasn’t been shy about bringing a new wave of talent into the team. When Inter lifted the Serie A trophy last season, credit goes to the manager for the way he reinvented the club.

One of his first deals at the helm was signing experienced defender Diego Godin on a free transfer, a smart acquisition, before making Matteo Politano’s loan (£19m) permanent and paying the cash on Valentino Lazaro (£20m). The pair provided depth but had little impact for the club.

Young goalkeeper Gabriel Brazao was also bought before going on loan, as was Eddie Salcedo.

Inter’s best deal under Conte then ensued when they acquired the services of Stefano Sensi and Nicolo Barella on loan to buy contracts, while also signing Cristiano Biraghi and Alexis Sanchez on loan.

Romelu Lukaku was the star signing of the window, joining Manchester United for £66m in a move that boosted his career. The Belgian has since joined Chelsea for £97.5m after scoring 64 goals for Inter in 95 appearances – sending Inter back to the Serie A title in the process.

In 2019/20, the January transfer window, Conte’s business was cheap but efficient. He signed Ashley Young from United for just £1million and Victor Moses on loan, who provided cover in the winger roles. Christian Eriksen was also bought from Tottenham for £24million, who played a pivotal but key role in the title success.

In Conte’s second summer in charge, the manager didn’t spend big but invested wisely.

The moves for Barella (£29m) and Sensi (£22m) have been made permanent, and Arturo Vidal and Sanchez have both joined the club on a free transfer. Matteo Darmian has also joined the Parma club on loan.

Achraf Hakimi was then bought, a star of the title hit, for £38m from Real Madrid. The Moroccan established himself as one of the best defenders in the world after his purchase, scoring seven goals and eight assists in 37 Serie A performances and cashing in the club’s £20m profit at the end of the season. season with the sale to PSG.

Former Manchester City defender Aleksandr Kolarov was his last notable affair at the club.

chelsea

As soon as Conte was appointed as Chelsea manager in 2016, he began filling his squad with hardworking and versatile talent.

The 52-year-old was well supported in his first window at Stamford Bridge, and the club reaped the benefits. He signed Michy Batshuayi from Marseille for £35million before making three top signings.

Leicester City’s N’Golo Kante (£32m), PSG’s David Luiz (£31m) and Fiorentina winger Marcos Alonso (£20m) all joined the Blues and were instrumental in the success of the club title that season.

That campaign’s January transfer window was silent, but Conte then squandered the money the following summer.

Tiemoue Bakayako (£36m) Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (£15m), Emerson (£15m), creative midfielder Ross Barkley (£15m), Premier League winner Danny Drinkwater (£34m ) and Italy winger Davide Zappacosta (£22m, Torino) were all signed.

The best buy of the crop that year was undoubtedly Antonio Rudiger, who joined Roma for £31m and has since become a fan favorite at Stamford Bridge and one of the league’s best defenders. However, with his contract expiring, who knows how long that will be.

Alvaro Morata was also bought for £60m from Real Madrid, and although he provided good link-up play and kept the game going, his 24 goals in 72 games marked him as a ‘flop’ at the club before that Conte is fired.