Antonio Conte has an uncertain future at Tottenham Hotspur as the Lilywhites look set for another trophyless campaign and could finish outside of a Champions League spot this season. The 53-year-old manager is out of contract this summer and isn’t expected to sign a new deal.
Luciano Spalletti has been named as a potential replacement for Conte as his Napoli side sit top of Serie A, but Calcio Mercato Web suggests Stanislav Lobotka could either follow him to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or be the reason he makes the switch.
The 28-year-old joined Napoli from Celta de Vigo in 2020 and has gone on to make 98 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals with one assist. Lobotka has made 33 appearances across the board this season, amassing 2759 minutes from a possible 2970, so he’s barely missed a moment.
The Slovakian international is an important player for Napoli and Spalletti, so CMW believe he could be followed to Tottenham by his manager. Napoli are 15 points clear of second-place in Serie A, so the pair look set to win a title together. Gli Azzurri are sure to have their squad picked apart too.
Lobotka would be third in the Spurs squad for tackles per game (2.3), first for fouls won per game (1.7), third for passes made per game (61.1), and first for pass accuracy (94.4%), so he would greatly improve the squad.
Tottenham aren’t short of options in midfield with Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr at their disposal, but Conte hasn’t been lucky with injuries and form.
Skipp has started only six league games due to falling down the pecking order, Bentancur has missed 35% of league outings due to an adductor and knee injury, Bissouma has started just eight league games due to an ankle injury while being benched, and Sarr has amassed only 136 minutes of football in the league due to injury while being benched.
Napoli paid £18.6m to sign Lobotka three years ago and are sure to make a profit on the 28-year-old. Lobotka is rated at €30m (£26.5m), so he wouldn’t break the bank. Time will tell if the midfielder or his 64-year-old manager makes the switch.
