Antonio Conte has told Friday’s press conference that he found it “strange” that so many Tottenham players left the club on loan in January. Gio Lo Celso, Bryan Gil and Tanguy Ndombele left on loan on deadline day.
Ndombele, 25, returned to his former club in the shape of Lyon – after being linked with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and others. He has struggled to gain any real momentum since the exit of Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs.
Conte prefers to use holding midfielders. It saw Lo Celso join Villarreal, where he will link up with Etienne Capoue and Juan Foyth. Dele Alli joined Everton permanently, Gil went to Valencia. Jack Clarke went to Sunderland.
Tottenham’s Italian gaffer spoke of the decision to let so many senior players leave – bringing in only Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur. He says it was “strange”, but it was a sign of previous transfer failings.
“For sure it was strange to send out on loan four players and one transfer in January, it showed something went wrong in the past,” Conte said. “Maybe there were some mistakes in the past.
“You have to buy players to reinforce your team but if you send away players that you bought in the last two or three years it means you did something wrong in the past.”
Conte on January: Which of the five still have a chance at Tottenham?
Obviously, Dele has left Tottenham permanently and while there might be a return at some point in the future – his focus is on Everton. Ndombele looks as though he simply does not suit Conte – despite saying he might return.
Lo Celso is a player that could be formed into more of a holding player, given his aggression and tenacity. For Argentina, he plays in more of a deeper role and it could be something Conte considers in the future.
Clarke simply has not lived up to the hype when he joined from Leeds in 2019. A permanent deal in the summer is needed, while Gil probably has the biggest chance given his versatility and his age.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
