Report: Conte identifies first target of £150m Spurs spending spree, player dubbed the ‘greatest menace’

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Tottenham Hotspur appear to have given Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici a huge boost ahead of this summer’s transfer market.

On Tuesday, Spurs announced that ENIC had “agreed a capital increase of up to £150m via the issue of convertible A Shares and accompanying warrants.

“The equity injection provides the Premier League Club with greater financial flexibility and the ability to further invest on and off the pitch.”

Football.london has suggested that the majority of that £150m will go towards backing Conte in the market this summer.

This is to help him build a team to challenge at the top of the Premier League and in the Champions League.

Great news for Tottenham fans. They could well see numerous high-calibre new arrivals at N17 in the coming months.

According to The Mirror, Conte has identified the first target of Tottenham’s potential summer spending spree.

That player is Filip Kostic, who shone for Eintracht Frankfurt en route to the Europa League in 2021-22.

“The greatest menace” in the 2021-22 Europa League

Apparently, both Conte and Paratici are ‘keen to invest in his consistency’.

Kostic enjoyed a fine 2021-22 campaign overall, scoring nine and assisting a further 15 through the season.

However, it was the Europa League where he stood out and truly put himself in the shop window.

UEFA crowned him the Europa League Player of the Tournament following his heroics in the competition.

Ahead of Frankfurt’s semi-final second leg, the Bundesliga website wrote an article called “5 reasons Eintracht Frankfurt will beat West Ham in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals”.

Kostic featured at number one, the website deeming him “the greatest menace in this edition of the Europa League”.

Indeed, the 29-year-old went on to help his side beat the Hammers before seeing off Rangers in the final.

Can Tottenham land Gareth Bale 2.0?

Three years ago, the Bundesliga website wrote that Kostic is “an athletic left-footed wide player who can score, create, and mucks in defensively.

“Kostic is unique in his ability to marry attacking and defensive duties without an ounce of protestation.

“Gareth Bale – the left-back-turned-winger of circa 2012-13 – is probably the closest thing to a modern-day comparison.”

Adi Hutter, the former Frankfurt manager, previously described Kostic as “outstanding”.

Conte suggested he wanted experienced, high-calibre players who could be thrown in at the deep end for Spurs.

And Kostic certainly fits the bill – could he go on to replace Sergio Reguilon for next season?