Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp was reportedly keen on leaving the club during the January transfer window.
Apparently, the 22-year-old midfielder wanted to secure regular game time during the second half of the campaign and he was ready to leave the club on loan. Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leeds and Bournemouth were among the clubs keen on signing him.
However, a report from Football London claims that Antonio Conte refused to sanction a temporary exit for the highly-rated midfielder in January. Skipp has started just three league games this season and he needs to play more often in order to continue his development.
But Tottenham are lacking in depth when it comes to the midfield and Conte did not want to weaken his squad midway through the season.
The Italian manager will be hoping to guide Tottenham Hotspur to a top-four finish this season and it remains to be seen whether Spurs can secure Champions League qualification.
Skipp is highly rated at the London club and he has a big future ahead of him.
It will be interesting to see if he can force his way into Conte’s starting lineup in the coming months and hold down a regular starting spot.
Antonio Conte has not been able to rotate his preferred midfield options too often because of the lack of depth. He has had to rely on Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur to start most games. Furthermore, summer signing Yves Bissouma has failed to hold down a regular starting berth and Conte cannot afford to weaken his midfield unit any further.
