Antonio Conte wanted to loan me, but Oliver Skipp injury kickstarted my Tottenham career
Pape Matar Sarr has revealed that he almost left Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022 after his conversation with Antonio Conte, only for the Italian to have a change of heart at the last moment.
While Ange Postecoglou has counted on Sarr from the day he stepped foot in the door at Tottenham, that was not the case with his predecessor, Conte.
Following his move from Metz, the young midfielder struggled to get a run in the side under Conte, even though he gave a decent account of himself whenever he got opportunities, including in a Champions League clash against AC Milan at the San Siro.
The Tottenham man has now lifted the lid on how close he came to an exit after his conversation with the former Spurs head coach.
Pape Sarr reveals Antonio Conte’s change of heart at Tottenham
Sarr explained that following his first pre-season at Tottenham, he was told that he was surplus to requirements and free to leave the club on loan.
However, Conte reportedly blocked his move after Skipp picked up an injury, with the midfielder explaining that the Italian’s message to him was very clear after that development.
Sarr told D Sports in Senegal: “When I arrived, I pre-seasoned with Conte. After the pre-season, the technical director told me that the coach was satisfied with my performance, but that he wanted me to find another club until January because they had a lot of players.
“I told my agent about it, and I was about to go on loan to Italy. Everything was almost established, but the week before the finalisation, I remember that we were holding an opposition between us. I was a substitute with Ndombele.
“That moment, I was so excited, I wanted to show all my talents. Two days later, Skipp injured himself in training, and I replaced him. After the match, it was Conte himself who called me and said, ‘You’re not going to go on loan, I’m counting on you, you’re going to stay’.”
Sarr admits apprehensions about Spurs stay
The 22-year-old revealed that he was on the verge of finalising an exit out of Tottenham when Conte changed his mind. Sarr explained that he initially had doubts over whether he would get minutes if he stayed out at Hotspur Way but admitted that he wanted to give it a good go.
The midfielder added: “I had already packed my bags, and I called my dad and my agent because they had already made the trip. At first, I was a little dubious, because I knew I was not going to play.
“But I thought that, once I had the opportunity, I would show up. At first, being one of the 20 players selected for the game was a real challenge for me.”
The post Antonio Conte wanted to loan me, but Oliver Skipp injury kickstarted my Tottenham career appeared first on Spurs Web.