Destiny Udogie will definitely be plying his football in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur next season despite the departure of Antonio Conte and the uncertainty surrounding Fabio Paratici.
Who knows, perhaps Conte’s acrimonious exit will work to Udogie’s benefit.
As fellow full-back Djed Spence found out, the former Inter Milan, Chelsea and Italy boss is not one who makes a habit of throwing untested youngsters in at the deep end; Oliver Skipp the exception rather than the rule at Spurs.
“For sure, this player needs to develop like Spence,” Conte said last August, putting Tottenham’s new £17 million signing in the same bracket as a man who played just five Premier League minutes under his stewardship.
“In my opinion, (Udogie is) a good investment for the club.”
Tottenham Hotspur sign Serie A starlet Destiny Udogie
With Tottenham seemingly prioritising a more attack-minded, youth-orientated head coach – be it a Julian Nagelsmann, a Luis Enrique or even Mauricio Pochettino – the future arguably looks brighter for Udogie post-Conte in North London, even if the 20-year-old wing-back may have been tailor-made for his 3-4-2-1 system.
Udogie’s agent, Stefano Antonelli, insists that there is ‘no reason’ why Udogie will not be fighting for a first-team spot at Tottenham next season, despite the uncertainty caused by Conte’s exit and 30-month ban handed down to managing director Paratici.
“He is a Tottenham player,” Antonelli tells Tuttomercatoweb, speaking out in support of the ex-Juventus chief.
“It’s clear that I hope that positive justice will be done with Paratici. We are all used to destruction. But, for the good of our football, I hope this thing will resolve (itself) as soon as possible.
“The Tottenham project does not change. Udogie was bought with everyone’s approval. Many other professionals have called him important for the club.”
Udogie is spending the 2022/23 season back on loan at Udinese. The swift-footed Italy U21 international has three goals and six assists in Serie A. Antonelli, meanwhile, insists that Udogie will not leave again – even on a short-term basis – next term.
“Yes, I’m ruling (another loan) out now,” he adds. “The boy is doing great.”
Tottenham fought off both Juventus and Inter Milan to sign the ‘extraordinary’ Udogie. His arrival may also raise questions about the future of Ivan Perisic; a man 14 years his senior.
Perisic, after all, was very much ‘Conte’s man’.
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