Compelling cameo though it may be, Antonio Conte has not gone to Tottenham Hotspur to be in a fight to the death with Arsenal for fourth place in the Premier League every season. He wants to be involved in the main event, not a sub-plot. The Spurs boss is not yet at the stage of his career where he attaches great significance to small baubles. He wants to win football's biggest prizes.
If Tottenham cannot offer him that prospect, then why should he stay? The growing restlessness of some Spurs fans about his unwillingness to commit himself to the club is understandable but there is a reason why the former Italy boss only signed an 18-month contract in north London when he took over last November.