Tottenham Hotspur's chiefs are reported surprised by Antonio Conte following an interview with Sky Sport Italia, where the Italian coach hinted at the club's lack of ambition in the transfer market.
The former Chelsea and Inter manager discussed how Spurs planned their transfer business in January and for the future, suggesting that he is not entirely happy with the way Spurs handled the January transfer window.
Conte openly claimed that Tottenham are unwilling to sign 'ready' and 'experienced' players that could instantly win them titles.
Conte claimed that "What happened in January was not easy. We lost four players. Four important players for Tottenham, and we brought in only two. So, even just in terms of numbers, rather than reinforce the squad, we on paper weakened it".
"There are multiple reasons why certain choices were made. I would never expect to see four important leave. This shows how difficult it is."
Spurs had an eventful January transfer window, signing Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski both from Juventus, but they also let go of Tanguy Ndombele, Bryan Gil and Giovani Lo Celso on loans to Lyon, Valencia and Villarreal respectively, while Dele Alli left on a free transfer to Everton.
He added that "January is always very difficult. Bentancur and Kulusevski are ideal prospects for Tottenham because Tottenham are seeking young players they can develop and grow, not players who are ready. That is the issue."
"This is the vision and the philosophy of the club. It is inevitable that if you want to grow quickly and if you want to be competitive more rapidly, you need players with a lot of experience because they also raise the experience level of the overall team."
"But I repeat, I have realised now that this is the vision of the club."
Unsurprisingly, PA's Tottenham correspondent Jonathan Veal has revealed that club directors were surprised by Conte's comments.
With the Italian set to face the media once again on Friday ahead of the crucial game against Manchester City in the Premier League, he will without a doubt be expected to address the comments and clarify his position on matters.
Spurs are still in the FA Cup and are fighting for a place in the UEFA Champions League next season through the Premier League, so they need to have a top quality squad that is also great in numbers, and it remains to be seen whether Conte will be able to work with the current crop of players.
