Antonio Conte has been named as the new manager of Tottenham after signing an 18-month deal to take charge of the North London side.
Spurs have moved swiftly to name a successor to Nuno Espirito Santo after the Portuguese coach was sacked on Monday following a run of five defeats in seven Premier League fixtures.
Conte had been a target for Spurs during the summer but turned down an approach due to reservations over the club’s ambition, though negotiations with director of football Fabio Paratici – who he previously worked alongside at Juventus – have now reached an agreement.
The arrival of Conte will hope to galvanise a squad that has made a stuttering start to the campaign, with the Italian boasting a fine pedigree having won league titles with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
Spurs are expected to hand the 52-year-old significant backing in the transfer market as Conte looks to revive the club’s fortunes, with the North Londoners currently eighth in the Premier League and five points adrift of the top four.
Conte – who has been out of work since leaving Inter Milan soon after the Nerazzurri’s title success last season – could take charge of Spurs for the first time against Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, before a Premier League clash at Everton this weekend.
Conte had last week been linked with replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, but now returns to English football tasked with turning around Spurs’ faltering fortunes.
Speaking following the confirmation of his appointment, the Italian said he was delighted to be back in the Premier League, hailing the determination of Daniel Levy to secure his services as a major factor in his decision.
“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again,” he said in a statement.
“Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world.
“I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.
“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching.
“But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”
He has signed a deal until 2023 with an ‘option to extend’.
