Soccer

Antonio Conte the favoured choice to replace Nuno at Tottenham

Spurs in talks with the former Chelsea boss who spurned them during the summer

Tottenham are once again looking to Antonio Conte to fill their managerial vacancy. Photograph: Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images

Mon Nov 1 2021 - 10:49

Tottenham are trying again to convince Antonio Conte to take their manager’s job after sacking Nuno Espirito Santo. The Portuguese has departed after only four months and 17 matches as manager.

Conte rejected Tottenham’s overtures in the summer but remains out of work and the club’s managing director of football, Fabio Paratici, has made the former Chelsea and Internazionale manager his top target and talks are under way.

Conte is generally averse to taking a job midway through a season but made it known he would make an exception for Manchester United if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were sacked and Spurs are hopeful he will take the same view of their job offer. Conte is asking for guarantees regarding the next transfer windows and for a long-term contract. Nuno was given a two-year deal.

Talks with Conte in June collapsed after Tottenham thought they were close to deal. At that point Paratici had not been hired.

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Nuno has gone after a 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United on Saturday, during and after which he was barracked by supporters. Spurs turned to Nuno at the end of June having failed to land a number of preferred candidates including Conte, Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso. The former Wolves manager began with three straight Premier League wins, the first against Manchester City, and was named August’s manager of the month.

But comprehensive defeats by clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal and United, coupled with an uninspiring style of play, have prompted his dismissal. Spurs have gone two hours and 16 minutes without a Premier League shot on target.

The chairman, Daniel Levy, also a target for fans’ anger on Saturday, and the managing director of football, Fabio Paratici, held talks after the United game and concluded a change was imperative. Tottenham are eighth in the Premier League and third in their Europa Conference League group, although they have reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Paratici said: “I know how much Nuno and his coaching staff wanted to succeed and I regret that we have had to take this decision. Nuno is a true gentleman and will always be welcome here. We should like to thank him and his coaching staff and wish them well for the future.”

The team have scored only nine goals in 10 Premier League games and Harry Kane, who had hoped to leave for City in the summer, has looked well below his best. Nuno joined on a two-year deal, succeeding Jose Mourinho after Ryan Mason had been placed in interim charge.

Supporters booed Nuno after he substituted Lucas Moura for Steven Bergwijn on Saturday and the manager was subjected to more barracking from home fans as he conducted his media duties before they were moved on by stewards.

Spurs confirmed Nuno’s coaches Ian Cathro, Rui Barbosa and Antonio Dias had also departed. - Guardian