What's the latest on Cristian Romero, Oliver Skipp, Bryan Gil and Lucas Moura?
About Romero and Skippy. Today they did the training session with us. For sure we have to wait, to tell that [if] they are completely recovered, but this is a good sign for us, for the player.
About Lucas, he has this inflammation in his tendon. I hope to recover him very soon, because for sure when I was a player I had a lot of pain in my tendon. You know very well tendon inflammation doesn’t finish in only one week, two weeks. I hope to have him early with us. About Gil... Gil is not still available but in 2-3 days he will start to work and to recover.
How likely are you to sign another player this week? If you could pick position you'd like to strengthen most, what would it be?
I spoke with the club. I spoke with Paratici, with Daniel Levy, I said to them my opinion. But as you know very well, the most important thing is for the club to know my opinion. If we do something or not, it’s ok.
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Have Tottenham offered Harry Kane a new contract yet? What stage is that at?
I have to be honest with you: I don’t know, I don’t know about this situation, I don’t know the details, honestly, honestly. You know we are talking about an important player for Tottenham.
And the desire of everybody into the club is [for Kane] to continue to stay with Tottenham, to sign a new contract. But if you ask me about the details, about information, I cannot answer you.”
What would Antonio Conte the player have done if Richarlison had juggled the ball against you?
I think about Richy...we are really happy. We are talking [about] a player who can help us a lot in this season. We are talking about a player who is a really good addition, especially up front. I think in the past, Tottenham didn’t have a player of this level behind Harry, behind Son. Now we have a really good player.
He is in the best moment of his career, to stay in Tottenham to show his talent, he has a big [talent] for sure. He can help us a lot in this season. And now every time he is playing, also for 20-30-40 minutes, he is playing very well. For sure in the next games you will see him in the starting 11.
Will you tell Richarlison not to do it again?
I already answered yesterday this question about Richy. I think the game ended and sometimes during the game there are moments that you receive a hit and you can be a bit angry, a bit hot in your mind. I think nobody want to show be disrespectful for anybody.
Did you just say Richarlison will start against West Ham? Will that be instead of Son?
No I didn't say this. I said probably in the future you can see in the starting XI Richarlison. Then if the game against West Ham, Fulham or Marseille. Then I have to decide.
Not specifically this week?
Not specifically.
How will you choose your team and rotate with two games every week until the World Cup?
For sure if you have to play one game every six days, every seven days or one week a game. From now I try to start with the old players because they give me more reality. With the new players we start to work with them only one month and half. It was the reason. I think in the end my choice was good as we got four good results in first four games.
Now it's normal, when you have to play one game every three days it's normal to make rotation. The player has to be intelligent to understand sometimes to go on bench, to come in, to alternate. For sure in this moment, this is the moment this is the period the club can understand if we are really really complete in the squad or maybe we will do better.
For sure compared to last season we are more complete as a squad. You know very well to reach other teams at top level I think we need time, patience and at least two transfer markets to reach the same level.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a player who seems to divide the opinion of some fans, how important is he to your system?
Pierre I think is for us a really really important player. I think that he improved a lot and I'm seeing in him a great improvement with the ball, without the ball and in the position and when go to recover the ball. I'm absolutely satisfied about the improvement of Pierre.
Pierre's a really good prospect to become a really top midfielder. For sure he has to continue to work in the way he is doing. Pierre doesn't divide in my head, in my mind. I am absolutely satisfied about his performance.
