Tottenham manager Antonio Conte reportedly wants six new players to bring his side up to a level where they can challenge the top four in the Premier League.
Despite continually failing to commit himself to the club, the Italian is still under contract for another year, and dismissed stories linking him with Paris Saint-Germain as “fake news.” Chairman Daniel Levy is ready to back his volatile manager - and is ready to give the former Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan manager what he needs this summer.
According to Football Insider, the first of those is another centre-back: Inter’s Stefan De Vrij, an integral part of the side Conte won Serie A with, is at the top of his list - and has been told by the club he can leave this summer for £15million. De Vrij, 30, is out of contract in 2023, and Inter need the cash. Aston Villa could provide competition, but expect Conte to go in strong for a player he rates highly and would definitely be an upgrade.
The former Feyenoord man has played 37 times for the Italian giants this season – with the Nerazzurri trailing rivals AC Milan by just two points in the race for the title. Atletico Madrid’s Jose Maria Gimenez is also on Conte’s radar, according to reports in Spain, as is Inter’s Milan Skriniar.
Right-back Denzel Dumfries, also from Inter, is another serious Conte target, and according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, has been told he can also go by the Serie A giants for a fee of around £33m. Fichajes reports that Brighton ’s Marc Cucurella has also been mentioned for the other flank.
Conte wants to make the loan signing of the powerful Swede Dejan Kulusevski permanent as well, to help provide support for Harry Kane and Heung-min Son. That would cost the club around £30m.
Spurs have also been linked with a move for another Serie A player in Juventus’ US midfielder Weston McKennie, according to Calciomercato. Tottenham ’s director of football Fabio Paratici knows McKennie well having brought the player to Juventus from Schalke, though the 23-year-old American is though recovering from a metatarsal fracture.
Conte also wants another front-line striker to back up Kane and Son, and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has been linked - and also in midfield, Southampton dead-ball specialist James Ward-Prowse is a possible target, though his price tag may be too high.
