KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: Tottenham’s return to the Champions League, secured on the last day of the Premier League season, has prompted a cascade of positive developments to keep Harry Kane and the fans happy.

Major concern had been the future of Antonio Conte. He had agreed an 18-month contract on his arrival last autumn but his own ambition and a queue of watching clubs, had raised doubts about whether he would stay. His exit from Internazionale after winning Serie A last year was a cautionary sign of his own self-belief.

Thus even lifting Spurs from midtable to the top four was no guarantee in itself of Conte’s loyalty. However the promise of a £175m investment in new players from the club’s owner, ENIC, was the gesture of faith which Conte needed. He agreed to carry on after a meeting on Friday with sporting director Fabio Paratici which determined the transfer targets.

First to come aboard is the Croatia veteran Ivan Perisic who is out of contract at Inter. Chelsea had also been interested in the 33-year-old but their inability to follow up with an offer because of UK sanctions had allowed Spurs to seal the deal. Perisic was a Serie A champion under Conte and turned down the offer of a two-year contract extension in Milan.

Another of Conte’s old fsvourites whom he wants is the 23-year-old Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni. Possibles on the Paratici shopping list include Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic and the England under-21 fullback Djed Spence who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middesbrough.

Veteran goalkeeper Fraser Forster, with six England caps to his name, is expected to join as reserve goalkeeper to Hugo Lloris. Forster played 19 league games for Southampton this past season under Ralph Hasenhuttl and is out of contract.

Congte’s continuance and transfer activity is expected to persuade Kane to keep faith with the club. The end-of-season excitement and Champions League return has consigned to history memories of his flirtation last summer with Manchester City. In any case, the Premier champions have turned to Erling Haaland, at 21 some seven years younger than Kane, as their centre-forward for the future.

In any case, Kane has a point to prove to Tottenham fans after being outscored this past season by Heung-min Son. The South Koreans scored 23 goals compared with Kane’s 17. This was the first time since 2013-14, when Kane was a young newcomer, that he did not finish a campaign as Spurs’ top scorer.

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