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Conte in ‘advanced talks’ to take over at Tottenham

Antonio Conte
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Spurs have also reportedly approached Fabio Paratici, who has worked alongside Conte in Italy, to take up a director of football role.

Antonio Conte is in “advanced talks” with Tottenham to take over as their manager, reports Fabrizio Romano.

Conte’s future has been a subject of speculations since he quit Inter Milan last month. There was a clash of ambitions between the two parties, with the title-winning manager wanting to keep all his key players plus bolster his squad whereas the club looking to raise funds by selling players in times of financial crisis, and Conte decided to leave Inter.

Real Madrid was mooted as a possible next destination for the Italian tactician but, as per Romano, he was “never close” to becoming Zinedine Zidane’s successor.

It now appears Conte, who enjoyed a successful two-year spell with Chelsea back in 2016, is on his way back to the Premier League, this time to join Chelsea’s local rivals Tottenham.

Tottenham have been on the lookout for a new head coach ever since sacking Jose Mourinho in April. The London side experienced a rollercoaster of a season under Mourinho, from emerging as strong candidates to win the Premier League after rising to the top of the league table to suffering a humiliating Europa League exit at the round of 16 stage.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is supposedly pushing for a higher-caliber appointment this summer after the team finished seventh in the Premier League – and Conte fits the bill.

The Lillywhites are also in talks with former Juventus director Fabio Paratici, who worked with Conte during the manager’s successful spell in Turin between 2014 and 2016, Romano adds.

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