Paratici and Conte at odds over pair of Juventus transfer targets
Spurs boss Antonio Conte and director of football Fabio Paratici are reportedly not in agreement over the club’s January transfer targets.
Understandably, given both Conte and Paratici are Italian, most of the rumours of Spurs transfer targets centre around Serie A clubs, with Juventus – a club both have worked at – chief among them.
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Dejan Kulusevski is perhaps the player most frequently linked with a move to north London, with many media outlets claiming the Sweden international is a favourite of both Conte and Paratici – they are supposedly ‘serious’ about the transfer.
But Calciomercato (via Sport Witness) claim Conte is ‘less enthusiastic’ than Paratici about Kulusevski, and if he ‘had to pick a player from Juventus, he would prefer to go for Weston McKennie’.
McKennie initially joined the Old Lady on loan from Schalke in 2020 before making the deal permanent this summer for £18million, and would be available for around £20million.
Kulusevski, who has eight goals and ten assists in 68 appearances for Juventus, would likely cost a similar amount to the £31m Juventus paid Atalanta for his services in January 2020.
Meanwhile, Conte hailed the impact of Hugo Lloris after Spurs’ victory over Watford on Saturday.
Conte said: “You can see the level of the keeper in these circumstances, when for the whole game he didn’t make a save but he continued to be focused with the team, for me it is very important because when I speak with the team, the link and connection with the keeper and the team is very important.
“It is important especially when you defend high with the defensive line, the keeper has to follow the game and not only to stay on the line, on the goal to make saves.”
France goalkeeper Lloris’ contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he can talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer in the summer, but the Spurs manager wants a deal to be struck.
“Hugo today showed that he is at the top and he is always focused and for us he is very important and I am sure that in the short time they can find a solution in the club because he loves Tottenham and Tottenham loves him,” Conte added.
