Antonio Conte raves about exciting Tottenham youngster after dazzling in friendly against Nice

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte told the club’s website that he’s a huge fan of youngster Pape Matar Sarr after their friendly against Nice last night.

Spurs continued their midseason preparations in north London with a 1-1 draw with the French side, which saw some important players return to action.

Sarr has yet to make a competitive appearance under Conte but may get his chance in the near future if he continues to impress.

Matt Doherty continued his recent good form during the World Cup break, netting for Spurs in the 21st minute. Nice then found an equalizer in the second half, after Antoine Mendy converted a corner.

A few first-teamers got some much-needed minutes ahead of the Premier League restart, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Emerson Royal both in the starting line-up.

Dejan Kulusevski also made a start, which is good news for Tottenham fans after he was sidelined with an injury in early November.

Sarr got his chance in the second half, after Conte replaced Hojbjerg with the Senegalese youngster at the half-time interval.

The 20-year-old signed for Spurs from FC Metz in the summer of 2021, before being immediately loaned back to the club last season.

In 33 Ligue 1 appearances for Metz, Sarr contributed only one goal but put in some admirable performances.

However, it was a poor season for his side as a whole, as they were relegated to the French second tier.

Pape Malang Sarr could be unleashed by Conte

A dynamic midfielder with the ability to play in a defensive, central or attacking role, Sarr has long been touted to have sky-high potential and seized his chance to impress yesterday.

Speaking to TottenhamHotspur.com, Conte said: “It was a good game. Also for Pape Sarr, I like him a lot and the way he goes out onto the pitch.”

Sarr also picked up some valuable experience during the World Cup break, making two substitute appearances in Senegal’s 3-1 victory over Qatar and their 3-0 loss to England in the round of 16.

While the youngster is still behind the likes of Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Oliver Skipp in the pecking order, he could get his chance to break through into the team this season if he keeps impressing Conte.

The Italian manager has previously spoken about the importance of having a top-quality deep-lying midfielder in a 3-5-2 formation, which he has sporadically employed since arriving at Tottenham.

Three months ago while speaking in a press conference, via SempreInter, he said: “In my past spell in England [as Chelsea coach], when we played with this system, we played with two midfielders, such as N’golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, who were strong with good quality, good stamina and physically fit.

“When I play with three midfielders, I need a pivot for who is better on the ball, more quality and less physically strong,” he noted.

Conte then named “Two players like the ones I had at Inter, for example, Marcelo Brozovic and Nicolo Barella, players with different characteristics,” as the kind of midfielders he needs to utilize the system.

While Sarr is lacking experience, his attributes fit the description of exactly what Conte requires to play with a three-man midfield.

If the Italian manager does opt to switch to a 3-5-2 in the future, we could see Sarr afforded with plenty more first-team opportunities.

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