Tottenham Hotspur have now been handed a major boost in their efforts to keep Antonio Conte at the club for the long run.
The 53-year-old Italian international is nearing the end of his contract, which is due to expire at the end of the season. However, his assistant Cristian Stellini has now confirmed that Conte is happy at the Premier League club and he could continue beyond his current deal.
According to a report from London Evening Standard, Tottenham plan to open contract talks with their manager soon and it will be interesting to see whether Conte is prepared to commit his long-term future to the club.
Stellini said: “It is an unfair suggestion [to label him as a short-term coach]. “He pushes himself at a level so high in his work. He is so passionate. At every club, he takes the club in one position and he increases the level every time. Now we are working well. The team increases, all the players improve themselves and we are happy. There is no problem. We are happy to be here and we feel good.”
Club Chairman Daniel Levy has backed his manager substantially in the transfer market and Conte has brought in a number of quality players over the last couple of windows.
However, Tottenham are still in need of reinforcements if they want to challenge clubs like Manchester City for major trophies.
Leaving midway through the project would be quite surprising and the fans and the players will certainly hope that the Italian signs an extension with the London club.
Conte is an ambitious manager and he has been linked with a move back to Italy at the end of the season. Apparently, Juventus are looking to bring him back to the club as a replacement for Max Allegri.
It will be interesting to see how the situation develops over the next few weeks.