Conte: “Tottenham first in the second round, there will be time for transfer and contract”

Champions League round of 16 goal. It is the only thing Antonio Conte thinks about, with his Tottenham expected from a home match against Sporting Lisbon which, if won, means qualification. “Moving forward would be a great result for everyone,” he says, putting aside any discussions about his contract, injuries or his last two Premier League defeats with United and Newcastle.

The team

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Conte with the Portuguese, who won 2-0 in the first leg scoring both goals in recovery, will not have Richarlison and Kulusevski once again and will only know at the last minute whether Romero and Højbjerg, absent with Newcastle, will recover in time. The 3-5-2, with only Kane and Son reliable solutions in attack (Lucas Moura, underlines the Italian coach, is not yet ready for a starting position) is still obliged. “Going forward would be important for everyone – says Conte looking straight at the goal -: for the players, for the club, for me, for the fans. We are talking about a great competition, the most important in Europe. We want to show that we deserve it, that we are part of this competition by reminding us that a year ago when I arrived we were ninth in the standings and were playing in the Conference League ”. Tottenham controls their own destiny: by winning they pass the round, without having to go to the result in Marseille next week.

Purchases

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Conte also pushes away the January transfer market, that session that he considers important for Tottenham’s growth, with the latest games confirming that, despite the summer reinforcements, an injury is enough to show the team’s limits. “I think the club knows well how important it is to add quality players, both in January and in the summer-he says-he. My priority now, however, is not January but the field: we must think about achieving this very important result, to close in the best possible way before the World Cup. Then we will talk about the rest ”.

The contract

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The rest also includes his contract, the one that expires at the end of the season even if the club has the option to extend it for 2023-24. “It is a topic that we will talk about with the club at the right time,” says Conte, refusing to discuss an issue that cyclically worries the criticism that follows Tottenham. Antonio, whom the fans adore and who has changed the club’s outlook and mentality in one year, is taking time for now. “After a year here I understood many things-he-says. I’m in the Tottenham world now, I understand our situation, our starting point and how long it takes to be competitive. I will arrive prepared when it comes to speaking with the club, but now we have to focus on the present ”. His present is Sporting Lisbon, that game to win at home, that qualification for the round of 16 to be won. Also because it would be another important step in the growth of Tottenham that Conte has in mind.