The Tottenham manager has already pointed out the huge fixture overload ahead of next month’s international break with the World Cup looming large later in the year.
And with his goalless start to the campaign, Son - who won the Golden Boot last season with 23 strikes - has shown that even the very best players can suffer something of a dip.
So it leaves Tottenham with something of a race to find a no 10 to fill a potential playmaker role if Conte needs to change thing up, or at the very least more competition in the places cutting inside from out on the wing.
ZIYECH HEADING ‘HOME’
One player who won’t be coming to fill that last hole in the jigsaw is Chelsea ’s Hakim Ziyech.
Algemeen Dagblad reported in Holland that Spurs were interested in the Morocco international despite his struggle to establish himself in the Premier League since his move to Stamford Bridge two years ago.
However, it now seems more likely that he will instead return back ‘home’ to Ajax where he first made his name with 49 goals and 81 assists in 165 games for the club. Sky Italia are reporting that the return is getting closer, although it is unlikely Chelsea will get the £33m they invested in Ziyech in 2020.
MALINOVSKYI LIKES TOTTENHAM MOVE
Ruslan Malinovskyi, is doing everything he can to continue to ingratiate himself with Spurs - even taking to social media.
Bizarrely, the Atalanta attacking midfielder ‘liked’ a tweet from the official Premier League account saying “Harry Kane’s landmark goal seals the win for Spurs” after the victory against Wolves on August 20 and the love-in has continued behind the scenes.
Fabrizio Romano says the 29-year-old Ukrainian is still very much in the thoughts of Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici and the feelings are reciprocated with Malinovskyi keen to leave Serie A with one year of his Atalanta contract remaining.
DEAL MAY BE CLOSER THAN APPEARS
Conte made it clear before the weekend that nobody would be leaving Spurs without a replacement coming in.
True to their word, the club have held up Bryan Gil’s loan move to Valencia until they get this vital piece of recruitment nailed down. Manager Gennaro Gattuso revealed at the weekend that the Spanish club have already been waiting “two of three days” to complete a deal that is “99 per cent done”.
“Tottenham have told us that they have to sign a replacement so that he can travel,” he told 90 minutes. ”We are waiting for Tottenham to sign another player.”
