Conte: Spurs have ‘one per cent’ chance of top four

Antonio Conte claims Tottenham have just a “one per cent” chance of securing a top four finish this season.

Spurs looked well placed for a push for the Champions League qualification spots before three defeats on the bounce has left them reeling with Manchester City next up in the Premier League.

READ MORE: The most improved Premier League XI of 2021/22

Conte’s side are currently eighth, seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, with three games in hand on the Red Devils.

Despite being in a decent position for a charge for the top four, Conte believes they are very unlikely to get there, something he’s not used to as a manager.

“I’ve always said that I have to feel only one per cent the possibility to win the league,” he said. “Here it is strange because maybe I feel the one per cent possibility to finish fourth.

“The level of this league is very high and there is not a lot of space for other teams than the top teams.”

Despite this, Conte insisted Spurs have nothing to fear.

“It’s important not to be scared,” he added. “We need to have the desire to fight.”

Spurs signed Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur on deadline day, but claims the squad was “weakened” in the January transfer window through the exits of Dele Alli, Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.

Conte said: “I saw some situations from the outside that could be developed, but when you get into it, you realise something…

“What happened in January is not easy. Four players left in January. Four important players for Tottenham, two have arrived. So even numerically instead of reinforcing yourself you may have, on paper, weakened.”

Conte has been backed with ready-made signings at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan but believes that will not be the case at Spurs.

He added: “It is inevitable that in January it is very difficult to get two players like Bentancur and Kulusevski to sign who, I repeat, are the ideal prospects for Tottenham. Because Tottenham is looking for young players, players to be developed, not ready players. That is the issue.

“The vision, the philosophy of the club is this. It is inevitable that if you want to grow faster and if you want to be competitive more quickly you need players with a lot of experience because they also lead to an increase in experience in your team.

“But then again, the vision of the club I realised is this and will continue to be this.”