Antonio Conte wants to earn the right to sign a new contract with Tottenham, but has hinted the club must match his ambitions to keep him for the long term.
Conte s current deal with Spurs expires at the end of the season, and although the club have an option for a one-year extension, the Italian has been linked with an exit on several occasions.
A return to Juventus has been touted as a possibility for Conte at various stages this campaign, but the Tottenham boss wants to show he deserves an extended stay in north London – so long as Spurs can help him achieve his own aims.
My contract expires on June 30. Until that moment, the club has to make the best evaluation, Conte said at a pre-match news conference ahead of Tottenham s meeting with Leeds United on Saturday.
I think that everything needs to be deserved. For this reason, it s important to see the rest of the season, what happens, if we are happy with the improvement we are doing.
On my side, professionally, I have to feel that I deserve to sign a new contract with this club. I have to feel this, but for sure I will talk with the club and we will find the best solution.
When you start a path with a club, your dream is to stay here many years, to try to build something important.
I think it s very important, the relationship that you create with your players, the relationship you create with the club, the environment around you, and also don t forget the ambition.
If you re used to fighting to win, it is also very important to match this situation and then, if you are lucky and find all of these situations, it s simpler to stay for a long-term project.
When this happens, you are a lucky person, a lucky man. Every manager dreams of this situation. Then the reality, unfortunately, is not always this.
Looking ahead to Leeds
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
Tottenham have lost three of their past four Premier League games, which is as many as they had lost in their previous 24 (W17 D4), with Conte s side appearing stretched amid an injury crisis.
Attacking stars Son Heung-min, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski have all been absent in recent weeks, and Conte believes Tottenham may need to add numbers when the January transfer window opens.
For sure, after the first part of the season it will be right to have a meeting with the club, to discuss the positive and negative things, where we can improve, Conte said.
Then we will see what we can do. It always depends on the possibilities, and the ambition from the club.
But for sure, we ll speak, also to have a good evaluation of this part of the season. I have seen a lot of positive things, but with injuries and having to play every three days, I think we struggled a lot.
In the future, we have to try to improve, to be better to face this type of situation.
Tottenham have won seven of their past nine Premier League games against Leeds (D1 L1), having lost eight of their previous nine against them in the top flight (D1).
