Tottenham boss Antonio Conte completes transfer U-turn over January business

Antonio Conte has changed his mind about Tottenham’s business in the January transfer window, saying his side is now “more complete” thanks to new arrivals.

Tottenham had big plans for the January window, but ended up falling short of many fans’ expectations. After weeks of speculation, they brought in two of sporting director Fabio Paratici’s former Juventus players, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, while letting Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani lo Celso and Byran Gil leave.

At the time, Conte appeared frustrated with the club’s efforts in the market. Back in mid-February, amid some particularly patchy Spurs form, the Italian gave an illuminating interview in which he openly criticised his employers.

“What happened in January was not easy,” Conte told Sky Italia . “We lost four players in January. 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. 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.”

Spurs were unable to shake off their inconsistency straight after the closing of the January transfer window. February and the beginning of March was defined by wins being followed by defeats for Conte’s side.

Tottenham’s form is showing signs of improvement now, however, with four wins coming from their last five Premier League games giving the club renewed hope of a top-four finish. Sunday’s 5-1 win over Newcastle saw Spurs leapfrog rivals Arsenal into fourth place ahead of the Gunners’ match against Crystal Palace on Monday and also prompted a reassessment of the club’s