Tottenham Hotspur got off to a flying start in the transfer window this summer, bringing in Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster before it had even opened. The acquisition of highly-rated Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma came soon after, with Richarlison also joining.
The Lilywhites are said to still be after two new centre-backs, a creative central midfielder and a right-wing-back – with the likes of Djed Spence and Clement Lenglet rumoured. If Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici manage to follow through on those aims, we could see a new-look Tottenham, not only on the pitch but in the record books too.
No matter how many new signings Spurs make this summer, and no matter the calibre of those signings, the most important incoming over the past year has undoubtedly been Antonio Conte. The Italian has become infamous throughout his managerial career for turning the fortunes of clubs around in an instant.
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In the 2010/11 season, Juventus finished seventh in Serie A, 24 points behind the winners AC Milan. In fact, the Old Lady hadn’t won a league title of their own since 2003. Yet, when Conte first took over for the 2011/12 season, Juventus managed to win Serie A by four points without losing a single game – the first time an unbeaten run had been recorded since the league expanded to 20 teams and 38 rounds. Juve would go on to win two more titles with Conte before he parted ways, although what he left behind was the foundation of what would become a nine-title streak.
In the 2015/16 season, Chelsea finished tenth in the Premier League, below the likes of Stoke City, Southampton, and West Ham – 31 points away from winners Leicester City. Although it may be a painful memory for Spurs fans, Conte was then hired and immediately pipped the Lilywhites to the league title in the following season.
Remember when we talked about that nine-title streak for Juventus in Serie A? Antonio Conte returned to his homeland in the 2018/19 season, this time signing for Inter Milan. Despite being the dominant force between 2005 and 2010, Inter were without a Serie A title in ten seasons, finishing fourth in the 2017/18 campaign. With progress a little steadier this time around, Conte solidified fourth in 2019, rose to second in 2020 – just one point shy of the title – then lifted the trophy in 2021. He had finally ended the period of supremacy at Juventus that he himself had started.
Fast forward to midway through the 2021/22 campaign and Tottenham were struggling under Nuno Espirito Santo. Despite a fast start, winning their first three games of the season, Spurs had fallen into something of a lull and were struggling to score goals. When Nuno was relieved of his duties in November, new managing director of football, Fabio Paratici, called his old friend Antonio to help. With Champions League not even uttered in conversations among the most optimistic of Spurs fans, Conte still managed to lead the club into the top four by the end of term.
The next chapter in this illustrious career seems to write itself, doesn’t it? If Antonio Conte’s track record holds up, the Premier League trophy should be adorned with Lilywhite ribbons in the next two seasons. But of course, football is never as simple as that…
Tottenham currently ply their trade in the Premier League up against two of the best teams in the world, if not two of the best teams in the history of the game – Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. So if Spurs are to finally make that climb to the summit, they are going to have to do it the hard way. Yet, as we have seen from his time in Italy, Conte is no stranger to giant killing as a manager – and we must remember that Tottenham went undefeated against City and Liverpool last season.
It was certainly an interesting pairing when Daniel Levy decided to hire Conte. One has traditionally held onto the purse strings, the other has preferred to spend money in order to drive short-term success. One has traditionally invested in young up-and-coming talent with high resale potential. The other has preferred here-and-now, experienced talent capable of winning from day one. But even from a management level, this seems to be a new Tottenham we are witnessing.
Since ENIC and Levy took over in 2001, the long-term project has always centred around the new training ground and the new stadium. At times, it seemed as if investment into the squad was put on the backburner, no more so than in 2018 when they became the first Premier League side in history not to make a single summer signing. However, with the training ground thriving, the stadium having been open for a few years, and the subsequent revenue trickling in – Levy has seemingly entered a new phase. We need look no further than the £150million pumped into the club by ENIC this summer, the first time they have actually paid into Tottenham since their early years. It very much feels as though the foundations are finally set, and Spurs are ready to concentrate on filling their shiny stadium with something worth shouting about.
With Daniel Levy as the master negotiator, Fabio Paratici as the transfer window genius, and Antonio Conte as the winner, everything seems set for Tottenham to make giant strides over the coming years. Tottenham have held that ‘Spursy’ tag for so many years, that doubt and pessimism have crept into the very fabric of the club and support. With four signings already in the bag this summer, it now comes down to whether the Tottenham ownership can finally seize the day and continue to give Conte the tools to achieve what we all know he can achieve…
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