‘We WEAKENED the squad’ – Antonio Conte says he ‘now realises what Tottenham’s vision is’ after transfer window
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ANTONIO CONTE has revealed he 'now realises Tottenham's vision' in a frank assessment of their January transfer window.
Spurs brought in Juventus duo Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur but also missed out on a number of targets.
These included Adam Traore, who ended up re-joining Barcelona, and Luis Diaz who was pinched by Liverpool.
And Conte has now spoken out about how challenging the window was for the club.
Speaking to , he said: “It’s always difficult to make comparisons, but if I had to find something similar, it would be the lack of confidence that is inevitable when you start work at a club that hasn’t won in a long time.
“I saw some situations from the outside that could be developed, but when you get into it, you realise that something... What happened in January was not easy. We lost four players in January. Four important players for Tottenham, and we brought in only two.
“So even just in terms of numbers, rather than reinforce the squad, we on paper weakened it.
"Bentancur and Kulusevski are ideal prospects for Tottenham, because Tottenham are seeking young players they can develop and grow, not players who are ready. That is the issue.”
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Conte was then asked whether he will be able to close the gap to the Premier League sides above Tottenham - particularly with players who have not yet fully developed.
“That is the issue,” the Italian replied. “This is the vision and the philosophy of the club.
"It is inevitable that if you want to grow quicker and if you want to be competitive more rapidly, you need players with a lot of experience, because they also raise the experience level of the overall team.
“But I repeat, I have realised now that this is the vision of the club.”
Spurs currently sit eighth in the Premier League table following three defeats in a row.
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A 2-0 loss to Chelsea before the winter break was followed up by back-to-back home defeats against Southampton and Wolves.
The Lilywhites now sit seven points off the Champions League places, although they have played three games fewer than fourth place Manchester United.
But next up for Conte's men is a trip to the Etihad to take on champions Manchester City.
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