Inside Tottenham's decision to appoint Conte with promise of transfer warchest

Spurs are poised to confirm the audacious capture of Antonio Conte on an 18-month deal after finally sacking Nuno Espirito Santo.

Chairman Daniel Levy wielded the axe on Monday morning to make Nuno the fastest dismissal in his two decades at the club, lasting just 124 days and 10 league games - surpassing Jaques Santini's 11 in 2005.

Conte - who lifted the title at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan - travelled from Italy to London for talks with Tottenham on Monday morning after Spurs approached his brother Gianluca over the weekend.

The 52-year-old is expected to be given the financial backing to turn Tottenham into title challengers - plus assurances that he will be allowed to operate with the support of Director of Football Fabio Paratici, whom he worked with at Juventus.

Spurs are poised to confirm the audacious capture of Antonio Conte on an 18-month deal ( Image:

REUTERS)

Spurs are keen not to allow Conte to slip through their fingers a second time after he rejected their advances over a lack of ambition in the summer.

Levy is hoping his arrival could yet inspire Harry Kane to stay at the club following his failed bid to force a summer move to Manchester City.

Conte is known to be a massive Kane fan and revealed to Mirror Football as Chelsea boss in 2017 that he would rather have signed the England captain instead of the Blues' £57million capture at the time, Alvaro Morata.

Kane's lukewarm relationship with Nuno and his lingering frustrations over the City saga have seen his form dip dramatically and his transfer value plummet.

Levy had been keen on a return to Paulo Fonseca after agreeing a deal with the former Roma boss to succeed Jose Mourinho earlier this year. Bournemouth boss and former Spurs coach Scott Parker had also been discussed.

But Paratici pushed for Conte and the Tottenham high command, well aware of the mounting anger within the fanbase over the club's slump which left them little room for manoeuvre, backed their man.