Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has dropped Aston Villa's name into an answer to journalists about the summer transfer window.
Conte was discussing who his side will have to compete with next season as they look to return to the Champions League. Spurs still have a chance of a top four finish this season with Conte's men only three points behind Arsenal in fourth place, though Mikel Arteta's side have a game in hand on their North London rivals.
Next year it will be much trickier than it is already to qualify for Europe, with Villa expected to spend big in the summer and go for a return to Europe in Steven Gerrard 's first full campaign in charge at the club. There is also a resurgent Newcastle United to contend with given they are now flush with cash after a takeover by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund last year.
They spent big in January but are expected to add more players in the summer as they target a top half finish. "We're talking about a club that now wants to invest," Conte said of Newcastle.
"I know very well these people decided to come into football not just to participate but to win, to be competitive. They want to invest money to bring Newcastle to another level. In England when I speak about a tough league, a league where the difficulty is very high. Every team wants to improve, not only Newcastle next season.
"There are many teams. Aston Villa wants to improve the team. This league is very difficult and for this season you have to work very hard to build something important and go season by season to improve the quality of your squad. You have to continue this idea of football and improve the quality of your squad. This is the only way to be competitive in England."
Villa return to action
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