Antonio Conte can be a project coach at Tottenham, according to his assistant, as he prepares for crunch talks over his future.
Conte’s contract expires at the end of the season and Spurs are planning negotiations to secure him to a longer-term deal during the World Cup.
Tottenham have an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months and are ready to back him with new signings in January.
After Conte warned last month he needs three transfer windows to turn Spurs into title challengers, it had been suggested he might not stick around to oversee a rebuild.
Conte, who has just passed his one-year anniversary as Tottenham head coach and takes his side to Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup tonight, has never spent more than three years in charge of a club. But his No2 Cristian Stellini says the Spurs boss is happy at the club.
“It is an unfair suggestion [to label him as a short-term coach],” said Stellini, who also worked with Conte at Juventus and Inter Milan.
“He pushes himself at a level so high in his work. He is so passionate. At every club he takes the club in one position and he increases the level every time.
“Now we are working well. The team increases, all the players improve themselves and we are happy. There is no problem. We are happy to be here and we feel good.”
