Tottenham Hotspur’s signing of Ivan Perisic in June felt appeared to represent something far more significant than the arrival of a top-class operator.
How often had the Premier League giants, before the appointment of Antonio Conte in November 2021, brought in an established, elite-level operator? A footballer at the peak of his powers?
Lucas Moura in 2018 maybe. Rafael Van der Vaart from Real Madrid in 2010 certainly. But the fact is, over the last decade or so, you could count on one hand the amount of times Tottenham splashed out a player who could conceivably be described as the ‘finished article’; chairman Daniel Levy prioritising young, up-and-coming talent a la Ryan Sessegnon, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and co.
During the Andre Villas Boas, Mauricio Pochettino or Jose Mourinho eras, Tottenham would have never – at least, not seriously – considered breaking the bank for a 29-year-old. One who turns 30 in January. One with 52 international caps under his belt.
Reports suggesting that Spurs have chosen Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak as their first-choice replacement for the long-serving Hugo Lloris, then, is a testament to the influence Conte wields in North London (Evening Standard). A power no Tottenham manager, not even the immensely popular Pochettino, could claim to have held.
Can Antonio Conte convince Tottenham Hotspur to sign Jan Oblak?
Perhaps Levy knows that, if Conte was to walk away – and he has a track-record for doing just that (ask Juventus and Inter fans) – finding a manager of equal quality would be beyond him. Either you back Conte, or you lose Conte.
Now, the Italian’s preference for signing established, experienced campaigners capable of slotting straight into his starting XI before making an immediate impact is well-established. Aleksandar Kolarov, Arturo Vidal, Matteo Darmian, Ashley Young, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Godin, Victor Moses and Eriksen all joined Inter during Conte’s time in charge at the San Siro, with the majority playing a major role in the club’s first Scudetto triumph since Mourinho’s treble-winning team. In that sense, Oblak – like Perisic – is about as typical a Conte signing as you could imagine.
“(Signing young players) is the vision of the club, yes,” Conte explains. “(But) if you want to be competitive more quickly, I think you need players with a lot of experience.”
A new approach, a new era
33-year-old Perisic has arguably been Tottenham’s most consistently-impressive performer since the start of 2021/22. Then again, the evergreen Croatia international was, of course, a free transfer. Reports suggesting that Tottenham are ready to make a move for Oblak – even if his price-tag has dipped substantially since the days when he was valued in excess of £100 million – provide a far greater indication that Levy is now dancing to Conte’s tune.
”For me, Oblak is the best goalkeeper in the world,” long-term Atletico team-mate Koke said after Diego Simeone’s side took on Manchester United in the Champions League a couple of months ago.
Oblak will be 30 years of age by the time next summer arrives. ‘Best in the world’ or not, Tottenham’s interest is a sign of the times – and a clear indication of change – in North London.
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