Simon Jordan has been left surprised by the offer Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly put Antonio Conte’s way.
It has previously been reported that Tottenham and Conte were entering fresh talks over a new contract, with Spurs said to be hopeful of the Italian signing on the dotted line.
However, more recent reports have suggested that Conte is now stalling over signing, which could be because he wishes to see how much he’s backed in next month’s transfer window, despite seemingly being offered a £1m pay rise.
Jordan has admitted live on TalkSport that he’s surprised by the relatively small wage increase Daniel Levy has offered.
He said: “He’s been there a year. Are Tottenham better for him being there? Yes. Is the potential for them to be better with him staying there? Absolutely. Does that mean he gets a pay rise? Most probably, because that’s what happens in football – you don’t get a new contract, on the whole. When someone’s after you, that goes the other way.
Will Conte sign a new contract?
Yes!
No!
“So I’m surprised it’s only as little as £1m. I mean, it’s preposterous what he’s getting paid anyway, but that’s just football.”
TIF Thoughts on Conte’s new contract offer…
It would be a huge blow and a massive mark next to Levy’s name if he was to lose Conte in this manner, as the Italian has been able to transform them from strugglers under Nuno Espirito Santo into top-four contenders.
Given that Conte has openly spoken about the need for more signings, it would make a lot of sense if he was waiting until after the January transfer window to decide whether or not he wishes to stay at Spurs longer than his current deal.
Spurs do indeed have the option to extend Conte’s deal by a further year, which would see him stay until the end of the 2022/23 season, but if he doesn’t want to be at the club, it wouldn’t make sense to keep an unhappy manager in the dugout.
That said, it would be unlike Conte to stick around somewhere he didn’t want to be.