Will be very important to not make mistakes in future, claims Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte
|Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has hit out at the club’s recruitment and transfers over the last few years as he believes that they’ve made a lot of mistakes. The Italian also believes that the North Londoners did not do their research when signing Sevilla winger Bryan Gil, given his struggles.
Having sacked Nuno Espirito Santo and then appointed Antonio Conte, many Tottenham fans wondered how the January transfer window would go for them. However, things didn’t quite go according to plan as Spurs let five players leave including Jack Clarke, Giovani Lo Celso and club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele on loan. Dele Alli also left for Everton on a free transfer but it could rise to a fee if certain conditions are met by the Toffees.
However, that also allowed Spurs to bring in Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus but many were shocked that both Lo Celso and Ndombele were allowed to leave. Yet in light of that, Antonio Conte admitted that “it was strange to send three players on loan” as it meant that Tottenham had made mistakes in the transfer market in the past. He also added that they need to stop making mistakes and sign the right players if they want to improve.Â
“For sure, it was strange to send on loan and sell one player in January because it means something went wrong in the past. Usually you have to buy players to reinforce your team,” Conte said, reported the Guardian.
“But if you send away players on loan you bought in the last two or three years, it means maybe you did something wrong. It will be very important to not make mistakes in the future because in this moment many teams are higher than us.”
He also pointed at Bryan Gil, who arrived last summer, in a cash plus Erik Lamela deal, from Sevilla but the Spaniard has struggled. The 20-year-old is considered to be a rising star but hasn’t started a game in his six-month spell and has now left on loan for the La Liga again. Conte added that while Gil is a good player, the league has been tough on him and he has struggled to make an impact.Â
“We’re talking about a really good player in Gil because he has good quality and he understands football quickly. In this moment, this league is very tough [for him]. If you compare this league with other leagues, you play another sport here.
“For this reason, when you go to sign a new player, you have to consider many aspects. You can be good with quality, you can be creative but, at the same time, you have to be strong physically. You have to run a lot, to be resilient. The impact of this league is not simple. You have to check many aspects and not go on emotional things,” he added.
