Tottenham news: Antonio Conte pursuit collapsed because of 'unrealistic demands' | OneFootball

Tottenham's search for a new manager is set to continue for the foreseeable future.

The north London club sacked Jose Mourinho shortly before the 2020/21 Carabao Cup final, with Ryan Mason taking over from the Portuguese legend on a temporary basis.

Spurs' plan was always to hire a new manager this summer and it appeared as if they had found their man in former Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte.

The Italian is one of the finest coaches in world football, as proven last season by the fact that he guided Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in over a decade and ended Juventus' monopoly.

Conte could have been a game-changer for Spurs, but the club pulled the plug on a potential deal for the 51-year-old earlier in the week.

So why did chairman Daniel Levy and the hierarchy at the north London outfit get cold feet with regards to Conte?

Tottenham fan reacts to Conte debacle | The Football Terrace

Well, according to The Sun, it was because of Conte's unrealistic demands, with those at the top fearful they could have had a seriously negative impact on the club.

The charismatic Italian coach was apparently demanding a £15 million-per-year salary and wanted over £100 million to spend in the transfer market this summer.

With Spurs struggling from a financial perspective due to their new £1 billion stadium, Levy realised he couldn't fulfil Conte's needs.

There was also concern that Conte would be reluctant to use players from the team's academy. However, it was primarily the monetary aspects of the potential deal that set alarm bells ringing.

A senior Spurs source told The Sun: “As soon as Conte became available, we had a duty to speak with him.

“He is a fine coach with an excellent record. But Daniel felt his budgetary demands were not only unrealistic but also potentially damaging to our future.

“Daniel wants us to be successful more than anyone but not at the expense of the club itself. He knows any new manager is going to need money to improve the squad and he is certain to provide them with that.

“But there has to be a balance and it cannot leave the club in a perilous situation.”

Spurs' search for a new manager goes on...

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