Italian football expert, Gabriele Marcotti, has revealed that the Antonio Conte to Spurs deal is not completely dead in the water and both sides may just be conducting a ‘negotiation ploy’.
Conte was, at one point, a firm favourite to take over the Tottenham job, which has been vacant since Jose Mourinho was sacked in late April. However, reports have since revealed that talks broke down due to the Italian manager’s demands.
Despite this, one report from Corriere Dello Sport (as relayed by Sport Witness) this week claimed that a deal was still possible, but Conte was looking to seek assurances before joining.
Marcotti has now reported a similar story, claiming that the deal should not be considered dead in the water. He revealed that talks have stalled and Spurs are looking elsewhere, but this could be a negotiating ploy in terms of which side blinks first.
He also added that Pochettino is now back at the top of Tottenham’s wishlist.
Marcotti said (ESPN FC as relayed by the Express): “I wouldn’t even necessarily take it as a given that this is done with.
“My understanding is that talks have stalled and Spurs are looking elsewhere but we’ve seen this negotiating ploy before, hoping one side or the other blinks and we could be headed in that direction.
“But the fact that [Mauricio] Pochettino all of a sudden is top of the list again, I think that also tells you something.”
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