Reports suggesting Tottenham Hotspur could bring Xabi Alonso back to the Premier League from Bayer Leverkusen have one former Spurs striker baffled.
It’s not that Darren Bent has doubts about Alonso’s managerial talents. It’s just that, two years after rifling through a whole host of tacticians before ending up with Nuno Espirito Santo, he has concerns about whether the age of flip-flopping is back with a vengeance in North London.
Vincent Kompany and Ruben Amorim, currently under contract at Burnley and Sporting Lisbon, have all-but dismissed the prospect of taking over from Antonio Conte already.
The Sun, meanwhile, believe that under-fire chairman has concerns over Julian Nagelsmann’s age. Even if the 35-year-old would arrive having enjoyed great success at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig. He guided Bayern Munich to yet another Bundesliga title too, sacked controversially a few weeks ago.
But if Levy has concerns over Nagelsmann, surely he must also have reservations about a 41-year-old who is still only a few months into his first ever senior managerial role? A man who has only coached Leverkusen 31 times since arriving at the Bay Arena.
“Do they know what they’re doing?,” Bent asks on talkSPORT (3 May, 5pm) when the subject of Alonso’s potential appointment was brought up.
Could Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso become Tottenham manager?
The former Spain international – who learned under some of the greatest managerial minds of the modern era during spells at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich – is now high on Tottenham’s wishlist after taking Leverkusen from the Bundesliga relegation zone to the European places.
That is according Sky Sports.
At least there appears to be some consistency to Spurs’ thinking. Unlike the botched Jose Mourinho succession plan of 2021. Kompany, Nagelsmann, Alonso and Amorim are all head coaches more aligned with ‘Spurs’ DNA’; young, forward-thinking and renowned for improving individual players.
The aforementioned quartet certainly share a lot more in common with a certain Argentine than Mourinho, Nuno or Antonio Conte ever did.
Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, is unlikely to get back together with an old flame, instead shacking up with a rival lover from down the road; Chelsea.
“Mauricio Pochettino is the favourite for this position (at Chelsea). And the expectation is that he will get it. But he’s not the only candidate,” explains The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
“We know how highly Chelsea think of Vincent Kompany. (As well as) another unnamed candidate who we still haven’t brought to the public light yet. Maybe that’s the way Chelsea want it.”
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