ARTICLES

Tottenham chief feared Antonio Conte hijack from this PL rival before official announcement

Daniel Levy was quick to appoint Antonio Conte as Tottenham Hotspur manager fearing intervention from Manchester United

According to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t The Express], Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy quickly appointed Antonio Conte as the club’s new manager fearing competition from Manchester United. The Red Devils were also linked with the Italian as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job has seemingly been on the line due to poor recent form.

Conte has been announced as the new Tottenham manager recently with a contract until 2023. It is also stated that there is an option to extend the contract should both parties reach an agreement.

The former Seria A coach was a target for Levy in the summer, but negotiations broke down over transfer budget and the situation of Harry Kane. Kane was openly pushing for a move to Manchester City in the previous transfer window.

Daniel Levy has appointed Antonio Conte as his new manager

Speculations also suggest that the new boss will be backed, with €280 million, which could explain why he accepted the offer this time. Kane is also said to be open to staying as he believes in the stature of his new coach to bring in trophies.

Earlier, Solskjaer was close to being relieved of his duties following the disastrous 5-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool. Conte was widely linked to succeed, the Norweigian, but the United board decided to stick with their current manager.

Fearing a similar slump from Man Utd in the future, the Spurs chief jumped the gun to appoint the 52-year-old manager. Nuno Espirito Santo was fired, in the process after the 3-0 loss to Man United, which gave Ole the reprieve.

Antonio Conte in a photoshoot for Tottenham

More Tottenham Hotspur News

The former Inter Milan coach will be coming in having made success at his previous two clubs. He was also crucial in breaking the dominance of Juventus in Seria A as Inter won the league last season. The London club would be hoping that their new manager would bring in similar success to get them out of their recent plight when it comes to trophies.