Antonio Conte has been handed a major boost ahead of the upcoming transfer window, with the Tottenham Hotspur boss keen to build upon an exciting debut campaign in charge. Owners ENIC have pumped a £150m cash injection into the north London outfit as they look to challenge under the Italian next season.
ENIC, owned by 85-year-old Joe Lewis, who is worth £4.3bn according to the latest Forbes figures, have agreed a capital increase of up to £150m with Spurs, via the issue of convertible A Shares and accompanying warrants. The club announced that 'the equity injection provides the Premier League Club with greater financial flexibility and the ability to further invest on and off the pitch'.
The cash injection follows Tottenham's qualification into the Champions League for the first time since 2019/20 when Spurs bowed out in the round of 16 against RB Leipzig under the stewardship of former boss Jose Mourinho. And, eager to cement a fruitful future in the competition, The Telegraph claim that Conte wants as many as six arrivals this window; a centre-back, a right wing-back, two midfielders, a forward and a back-up goalkeeper.
READ MORE: ENIC pumps £150m into Tottenham to help fund Antonio Conte summer transfer spree
The Spurs boss told Sky Sport Italia in February: "Four players left in January. Four important players for Tottenham, two have arrived. So even numerically instead of strengthening you may have, on paper, weakened."
In April, though, the Italian boss appeared to dial things back a little, stressing the impact of the two new signings, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski. Conte said: “I said that with these two players, despite that we lost four players in January, with these two new signings we made this squad more complete, with more balance.
"I think that it’s very important in football to have a clear idea and to have a good vision. Because in this way, the situation is more simple."
So, with a healthy £150m cash injection, football.london used CIES Football Observatory to look at how Daniel Levy can spend the windfall this summer.
Filip Kostic, Left Wing-Back - £8.6m
When Spurs were looking for wing-back options in January, a name which emerged was that of Frankfurt's Serbian wide-man Filip Kostic, who has been in superb form this season. The 29-year-old showed all of his skills in a lung-busting display against Rangers in the Europa League final.
He displayed the crossing skills which have marked him out as one of Europe's most coveted left wing-backs for big clubs on a humble budget. The Independent report that Kostic is back on the radar for Spurs following his displays throughout Frankfurt's run to the final.
The Serbia international has 15 assists from the left-wing this season and would be an experienced option for Conte. Kostic also scored eight goals, including three over two legs against Barcelona in the Europa League quarter finals - plus a penalty in the shootout win over Rangers.
Milan Skriniar, Centre-Back - £42.9m
While Alessandro Bastoni may be the more attractive option looking into the future, his Inter Milan teammate Milan Skriniar would be the more sensible option in the immediate future. Hypothetically, once Skriniar arrives and then steadies the backline at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Conte will be in a position to integrate prospects around a strong spine.
The 27-year-old sees his contract at the San Siro expire in 2023 making him available this summer for a cut-price sum. He's an established international for Slovakia and he's often captained Inter. Skriniar is an excellent defender who can slide straight into Conte's side, having previously enjoyed working alongside the Italian at Nerazurri last season.
Nordi Mukiele, Right Wing-Back / Right-Back / Centre-Back - £12.9m
Nordi Mukiele sees his contract at RB Leipzig expires in June 2023; he's the all-encompassing modern defender who could be available for a shrewd fee. The France international can operate anywhere across the backline, whether it be at wing-back, centre-half, left-back, in a back-five or back-four.
The 24-year-old is good in the air, dangerous going forward, excellent at defending. Mukiele would be the perfect 'master-key' that can unlock any of Conte's problems at the back. And, while still being young, he has a bright future ahead of him and Conte could help sculpt his positional pathway.
Marcelo Brozovic, Centre-Midfield - £34.3m
One man who Conte knows well from his time at Inter who could join him on his second English adventure is Brozovic, who is looking increasingly likely to leave Inter at the end of the season due to the club's financial concerns. The midfielder has previously been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea amid the Spurs boss' tenure in west London.
And it's being reported by the likes of SempreInter that a potential Premier League reunion between Conte and Brozovic is likely - this deal could be right up Levy's street.
Arnaut Danjuma, Inside-Forward - £34.3m
According to GOAL, Liverpool are interested in signing Arnaut Danjuma from Villarreal. Jurgen Klopp's side see the winger as a natural replacement for Sadio Mane, which should be enough to attract Tottenham's interest.
The 25-year-old has featured 34 times for the Spanish side this season, directly contributing towards 20 goals. His dazzling displays have caught the eye of some of Europe's biggest clubs, and the Netherlands international would be a fantastic acquisition for Tottenham.
While Conte is treated to a handful of attacking royalty already, with Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Kulusevski ready and waiting, Danjuma would add an exciting dimension to Spurs' attack.
Andrea Belotti, Striker - Free
Andrea Belotti was previously linked with a move to Spurs in January. In the winter window, transfer guru Pete O’Rourke claimed that the Torino frontman was high up on Conte's wishlist.
“I think Belotti would be pretty high up Spurs’ wanted list,” O’Rourke wrote on GiveMeSport in January.
Belotti, who sees his contract with the Turin-based side expire in the coming weeks, boasts an excellent goalscoring record over the years, netting 107 goals and providing a further 28 assists in 238 games for the Serie A side.
The 28-year-old would be a suitable understudy to Kane at Spurs, especially with Champions League football on the cards. While a free transfer for Luis Suarez would probably be more attractive, Conte-led sides have often taken an interest in Belotti in recent years.
