Antonio Conte says he needs to EARN a new contract at Tottenham after joining on an 18-month deal in November… with the Italian not worried about a lack of job security as he implements his vision on the side
- Antonio Conte has urged fans not to read too much into his length of contract
- The Italian has an 18-month deal but says he prefers to not be a financial burden
- Conte is keen to rebuild Tottenham after describing them as a ‘middle’ team
Antonio Conte revealed he prefers to sign short contracts to avoid his considerable salary becoming a burden for clubs.
But he insists his Tottenham deal is long enough to help him solve their problems.
Conte painted a bleak picture of how far away Spurs are from the Premier League’s best sides following their Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea, describing them as a ‘middle’ team and warning they need ‘so much time’ to resolve their multitude of issues.
Antonio Conte is convinced he can oversee a Tottenham rebuild even with his short contract
Conte called on supporters and club management to show patience as he rebuilds the team
However, Conte only signed an 18-month contract, which included an option to extend and is worth around £13m-per-year, sparking questions about whether he will have long enough to oversee that process.
He insisted: ‘I don’t need a long contract to be sure to work for a club.
‘I’m open to improve the Tottenham situation and I’m available to give my opinion, my vision and it won’t be a problem for me, a short contract.
‘The club has to appreciate my job and then to extend my contract but only if I showed the club to deserve this.
After losing 2-0 to Chelsea in first leg of Carabao Cup semi-finals, he pointed to a quality gap
‘I’m not a coach that wants many years of a contract. Also, it’s not fair. Because I know very well I’m a top coach with an important salary for the club.
‘I don’t want to commit clubs for many years because I understand the salary is an important salary for the club and I have to deserve this type of contract.’
Conte also confirmed Son Heung-min is set to be sidelined until next month after suffering a leg injury against Chelsea.
He will miss their next five games starting with Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Morecambe but also the second leg against Chelsea and important league games against Arsenal, Leicester and Chelsea.