Jack Wilshere says Antonio Conte will leave Tottenham if Spurs do not finish fourth

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Jack Wilshere has told TalkSPORT that he believes Tottenham will lose Antonio Conte this summer if his Spurs side fail to finish in fourth place. Three straight league defeats has put that in danger of becoming a reality.

A fortnight ago, things looked promising. Spurs had games in hand, and had they won a couple of those games, they would have climbed into the last Champions League slot. But now, things are incredibly different.

Leading 2-1 against in-form Southampton, they surrendered a lead – losing 3-2. It comes after a 2-0 loss to Conte’s old side Chelsea. Then, on Sunday, Wolves tore apart Tottenham’s shake defence inside the first 20 minutes.

Speaking on TalkSPORT on Thursday afternoon, Arsenal icon Wilshere says he thinks Conte will leave Tottenham in the summer – especially after his transfer comments – if Spurs fail to finish in fourth place this season.

“It all depends on where they finish,” Wilshere said. “Because that determines the type of player they can recruit. If they get Champions League, they can recruit Champions League players. If not, they can’t.

Asked if Conte will be at Tottenham next season, Wilshere responded: “It depends if they get in the top four. Asked if they failed to get in the top four, Wilshere simply replied: “No.”

Wilshere on Conte: Tottenham might lose Italian, but for signings

Conte will have known Tottenham were a long way off a fourth-placed finish when he joined. Yes, his comments state that he will have wanted better activity in the January window – but he will know January is tricky.

The summer is pivotal. The Champions League, of course, helps bring in big players. But surely, as long as there is progression and improvement, Conte will stick with it. It also depends on the work in the summer window.

If Spurs spend money, bring in big players – three or four big improvements to the starting line-up – then you would expect him to remain. It is more on the summer, than a top-four finish, but both are certainly important.