After clinching a place in the Champions League and finishing in the top four for the first time in three years, how far can Antonio Conte take Tottenham next season?
With an improving team, the Italian coach could be the one to lead the North London outfit higher up the league or even get their hands on a first major trophy since 2008. We’ve looked at why Tottenham could be a team to look out for next season.
Following the disappointing reign of Nuno Espirito Santo, it was quite a coup for Tottenham to appoint a manager with the pedigree of Antonio Conte, and the Italian achieved success straight away in the form of delivering a top-four finish.
Going forward and with the former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager in line to get his first full season with Spurs underway, it looks as though he is fully invested in the project going forward. There were rumours of Conte potentially leaving, but those have fizzled out with the 52-year-old committed to Tottenham.
It’ll be interesting to see what Conte can achieve next season, and he has shown in the past just what a great manager he is. Conte was the man that brought the Serie A title back to Juventus in 2012, their first since 2003, which set them on the dominating run of consecutive Scudetto wins.
Conte also guided Chelsea to their last Premier League title in 2017 – with the Blues failing to finish in the top two since then. The former Juve midfielder then guided Inter to the Scudetto in 2021 – their first since 2010. It shows Conte is no stranger to ending trophy droughts at big clubs and is certainly capable of guiding Tottenham to a trophy.
Challenging Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the league may be a bit of a stretch (although, with Conte you never know), but silverware in the form of the Carabao Cup or FA Cup glory may not be out of reach.
The effect that Conte has had on the club has already been felt in the seven months he’s been at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Conte has implemented his trusted 3-4-3 formation to good use, providing a solid base in defence whilst unleashing the formidable front three of Heung Min-Son, Harry Kane, and Dejan Kulusevski up top.
The formation has brought the best out of Cristian Romero – who was comfortably playing as a three for Atalanta – as well as seeing Ben Davies thrive as a left-sided centre back in the backline. Eric Dier also has the protection on either side of him which has seen him put in some good performances.
One of the main reasons why Spurs will continue to be a danger will be because of that incredible front three that continues to devastate defences. Kane and Son have been leading Premier League attackers for some time, but the arrival of Kulusevski in January has bolstered and refreshed the attack, making the front three even more dangerous.
The Swedish winger notched up 13 goal involvements (five goals and eight assists) in his 18 league matches following his January move from Juventus which looks set to be made permanent.
The arrival of Kulusevski created a top tier strike partnership which also invigorated the form of Son. The South Korean recorded his best Premier League tally last season with a remarkable 23 goals, all from open play, seeing him share the Golden Boot with Mo Salah. Son also recorded nine assists, showing the fine link-up between the three, with Kane the spearhead.
After a slow start to the season which followed the whole transfer saga, Harry Kane picked his form back up and returned to his devastating best. The talisman hit 17 goals and nine assists last season but brings more than just the stats.
Kane is always a prolific goalscorer but his link-up play with the two on either side of him drives Spurs forward. You only have to look at the performance in the win away to Man City to see how he continues to carry his side forward.
Perhaps another way Conte has influenced the side, Kane now looks committed to leading his side and you feel won’t be moving away anytime soon.
Spurs already have a good squad, but they are set to get even stronger next season. Conte has already lured Ivan Perisic from Inter, which looks like a shrewd signing. The Croatian played under Conte at the Nerazzurri, with Conte giving him a new lease of life as a left-wing back. It’s a position where Perisic has played since, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists last season under Simone Inzaghi in Milan.
The 33-year-old is a proven winner and has plenty of experience, winning the Champions League and Bundesliga as well as many other domestic trophies in his illustrious career. He will surely slot in perfectly at the left-wing back position for Spurs.
Perisic may not be the only arrival to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. The club have announced an influx and £150million capital increase from the majority shareholder ENIC. It essentially means that they’ve had that put in their bank account and ready to spend, the first cash injection from the owners since 2004, giving the green light for Conte to go and buy some talent.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Italian strengthens his side, after already bringing in the likes of Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus, who have both had an impact.
After losing their way a bit following the fall of Mauricio Pochettino’s team, then Jose Mourinho’s failed attempt to revive the club, followed by Nuno’s poor reign – Antonio Conte and Spurs could well be worth keeping an eye on next season.
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