Antonio Conte: Tottenham will only sign players with ‘specific characteristics’

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Antonio Conte: Tottenham will only sign players with ‘specific characteristics’

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte says he will only sign players with 'specific characteristics' as he shed light on the logic behind his transfer business this summer.

Spurs kicked off their Premier League campaign with a resounding 4-1 win over Southampton. James Ward-Prowse netted an early opener for the Saints, but Tottenham responded through goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Dejan Kulusevski, and a Mohammed Salisu own goal.

However, none o Conte's summer signings started the game, with the Italian selecting the same starting 10 of the 11 players that secured Champions League football with a 5-0 win over Norwich on the final day of last season - Cristian Romero returned in place of Davinson Sanchez.

The Spurs boss says he is pleased with the incomings at Spurs, highlighting the addition of players with specific qualities.

"Our first target was to improve the squad and the numerical aspect and quality aspect," said Conte. "I think we work with common sense to sign players with specific characteristics for our system, for our target and the club work well.

"To play for competition and if we want to try to be competitive and stronger than last season, we need to have a squad.

"The characteristics are to play intense football, and, to play this type of modern football, the players need to have quality.

"It is normal he has quality but at the same time he has to be strong physically, a good engine, stamina because this league is very, very difficult.

"It is totally different to other leagues and we need players with this characteristic to have quality but to be strong physically and to run, to run a lot.

"To bring intensity during a game because I like to press but you need to have a player strong to do high pressure and this type of football."