Tottenham boss Antonio Conte still waiting to speak to club about transfer plans

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte is waiting for a meeting with the club over transfer plans this month.

Conte intends to speak to chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici about how his squad can be improved during the January transfer window, which opened on Saturday.

The Italian wanted extra time to evaluate his players and he is now ready to report back on those he wants to move forward with.

“My expectation is to speak with my club and then to tell them my opinions,” he said ahead of his first return to Chelsea in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

“This is only my expectation and then the club knows after I speak to the club, they will make the decisions they want to make.

“I repeat I’m a manager and I’m in a position where I have to make evaluations.

“It’s happened and now I’m waiting to speak with the club to tell my opinion that the club has to take the best decision for the present, for the future and this situation is very simple.”

The current coronavirus pandemic could have a wide-ranging effect on business, whether that is a reduced spending as clubs count the cost of a year of lost revenue or wanting to hold on to players in case of an outbreak.

But Conte says if business needs doing, Covid-19 will not affect it.

“Covid or no Covid, if you have to do something, you have to do. Not because there’s Covid or not Covid,” he said.

“On this topic, we’ll try to take the best decision with the club and see what we can do.”

Spurs head to Stamford Bridge fearing another coronavirus outbreak, with Conte saying they had a couple of issues.

Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon both miss out through injury, with the latter targeting a return in the FA Cup game with Morecambe on Sunday.

“Ryan Sessegnon’s situation is better than Steven Bergwijn’s,” Conte said.

“I think he’s almost ready to be available in the next game, in the FA Cup he’ll be available.

“For Steve, I think we have to pay a bit more attention because his problem was in the calf, where you have to pay more attention and wait a bit before we have him available again.”