Tottenham Hotspur’s downfall has been evident in recent years, as they have failed to qualify for the Champions League in the last two seasons.
Following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, who strived hard to help Spurs become a regular top-four contender and also led them to a historic runners-up finish in the 2018/19 Champions League season, none of his successors – Jose Mourinho and Nuno Santo – lived up to the expectations.
However, there is a ray of hope among Spurs fans that Antonio Conte can steady the ship and help the club reach unprecedented heights.
The Italian manager has now set his sights on the top-four finish, with the North Londoners trailing Arsenal at fifth place.
Conte has made it clear that Spurs can’t compete for the titles and dream of Champion League football without new signings.
Perhaps, Spurs’ shrewd business in January – bringing in Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski while sending a handful of players on loan – has massively reflected on their performances, and the Italian manager is expected to be backed in the summer transfer window as well.
Here are the five players who Spurs could target this summer in a bid to build a winning squad.
Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala is one of the hottest players in the market after Juventus confirmed that he would leave for free this summer. The Argentine striker is on the radar of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, PSG and Inter Milan, but Spurs have a real advantage over them.
Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici has previously worked with Dybala at Juventus, and he was the one who engineered the Argentine’s move from Palermo to Allianz Stadium.
Now, Paratici could do everything in his power to persuade Dybala to move to Tottenham Hotspur stadium this summer.
As liked by Conte, the 28-year-old would bring a lot of experience to the table, and he alongside Son Heung-min and Harry Kane would make a dangerous attacking trio.
Andrea Belotti
Andrea Belotti is highly speculated to leave Torino this summer after reportedly opting against a contract extension.
The 28-year-old is one of the under-rated strikers, and he would be a great option to strengthen the attack, especially as a free agent.
Stefan de Vrig
Spurs will be keen on bringing new defenders in the summer as Conte always prefers a formidable backline.
Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Ben Davies are all top-quality players, but Conte needs someone with more experience and Champions League pedigree.
Stefen de Vrig’s links aren’t a surprise as Conte had worked with him at Inter, and both won the Scudetto for the 2020/21 season.
The Nerazzurri are ready to sell the Dutch centre-back for around £17m, and it would be a steal for that fee.
Mattias Svanberg
Tottenham are one of the clubs interested in Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg, who has emerged as one of the best midfielders in Serie A.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have been the out-right starters under Conte. Svanberg would be a great addition to strengthen the midfield ranks, but Spurs have to battle Italian giants Juventus for his signing.
