Spurs prepare £4m compensation package to sack Conte

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly taking advantage of the international break to prepare a compensation package ahead of the expected sacking of manager Antonio Conte. The Italian's exit is expected following his bizarre rant against his players after they settled for a 3-3 draw against Southampton over the weekend.

Chairman Daniel Levy is reportedly prepared to shell out a compensation package worth an estimated £4 million in order to sever ties with the Italian as soon as possible. Conte's current deal with the club is set to expire this summer, but things appear to have broken down so badly in the dressing room and most people involved are just ready to turn over a new leaf.

Conte is expected to earn £15 million from his current deal, which means the club is preparing a severance amount that should cover the remainder of the season. Spurs have an option to extend for another year, but if that option is not taken up, they are under no obligation to compensate the Italian.

Various media outlets including the Daily Mail are convinced that the severance deal will be offered to the Italian in the coming days. The deal is widely expected to go smoothly, although the Italian has not publicly confirmed that he intends to accept. He has been spotted taking a flight back to Italy where he is spending time with his family during the International break.

Meanwhile, Ryan Mason has taken over the club's training on Tuesday in the absence of the Italian. Mason is part of Conte's current team, and is expected to take over in an interim basis if the latter is sacked.

Antonio Conte's savage rant that could cost him his job

During the post-match press conference after the draw against Southampton, Conde called his players "selfish" and complacent.

"They're used to it here. You're not playing for anything important. You don't want to play under pressure. You don't want to play under stress. It's easy this way. Tottenham's story is as follows," he lamented, while also complaining that he he does not see "the fire in their eyes."

The manager's frustration stemmed from the fact that they had been leading 3-1 with 16 minutes remaining but somehow managed to concede two goals to settle for a 3-3 draw.

"I'm not used to being in this position. I'm really upset and everyone needs to take their responsibilities. Not just the club, the manager and the staff. The players need to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change," he said.

Conte also claimed that changing managers won't be the solution to Tottenham's problems. He said that even the best managers in the world won't make a difference because the players always have excuses. "They find an alibi, another alibi. They try to find an excuse for the players," he said.

He also added that everyone in the team is getting paid and they all need to take responsibility. Unfortunately, he thinks his players have a "losing mentality"

He claims that he does not see the desire to win from his players, and they are not playing as a team. They are thinking only for themselves and they are not going out there to protect the badge.

"Where are the players? In my experience you have to improve that if you want to be competitive and fight. And that's really low in that aspect. I only see 11 playing for themselves," he said.

Mason could take over for the remaining ten games, and if results take an upward trajectory, he could find himself in a position to become a possible contender to take over for the long-term. Otherwise, other possible candidates include Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique.