‘Amateurish’ and ‘bizarre’ – Alasdair Gold gives his take on Spurs transfer policy under Conte

Speaking on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham Podcast, Alasdair Gold has claimed Antonio Conte could leave Tottenham Hotspur due to the restrictive transfer policy in place at the club.

Conte took over at Spurs more than 13 months ago, and has brought about a degree of change and relative success at the club since. The Italian managed to guide Spurs to a top-four finish last season, and presided over a strong start to the Premier League campaign this term.

While performances have been called into question of late and concerns grow over the fact Spurs have now conceded first in their last nine games, the Lilywhites are still currently in the top four and have the knockout stages of the Champions League to look forward to.

However, Conte’s current contract expires at the end of the season and it is now believed some at the club are less than optimistic about the 53-year-old committing to a new deal (The Athletic).

A lot will seemingly depend on the January transfer market and the level of ambition the club shows in backing their manager to make the signings he feels he needs to improve the squad, but Gold fears the policy of signing young players for relatively cheap will drive Conte out of North London.

He said: “You’re just trying to squeeze these coaches into your way of working and it doesn’t work. It didn’t work with Mourinho. Mourinho came from clubs where he said ‘I want that player.’ He would get that player, they would fit his system and he would do great things.”

“Conte absolutely, the moment they were speaking to him we were saying he needs ready-made players and stars. You can’t keep acting like a club from a different model with a manager who doesn’t fit that model whatsoever.

It’s amateurish, it’s bizarre. I don’t understand the thinking of the powers that be that are continuing down this road.”

On what the future now holds, Gold said: “The fact that they’re sticking to this transfer policy is almost admitting that it’s a temporary thing with Conte.

“I know Conte said in the past about being like Jurgen Klopp and staying seven years and winning trophies, it’s a lovely thing to say, but I don’t believe it.”

“If he’s told ‘we’re going to crack on with young players who could be stars if you can make them,’ he will be gone.

“He doesn’t work in that way, I’m guessing what he’s thinking, but Conte doesn’t get the same joy from bringing through a young player, I know that’s his thinking that it’s not his job to develop young players.”

Spurs Web Opinion

If the board do indeed stick with this policy, then it just begs the question as to why they ever hired Conte in the first place. We have one of the best managers in the world right now, who is actively telling us what he needs, and if the club wants to succeed we have to give him what he needs or he will walk away.

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