Tottenham Hotspur may be looking for a third manager in a year if Antonio Conte elects to join Paris Saint-Germain. So, how are five of the other coaches Spurs eyed in 2021 faring?
Daniel Levy began targeting a new head coach last April having sacked Jose Mourinho after 17 months there. The Spurs chairman fired the Portuguese just a week before the EFL Cup final as he felt the north London outfit were not heading in the right direction under him.
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It took Levy and new managing director Fabio Paratici until July before hiring a manager to replace Mourinho. Yet Nuno Espirito Santo only went on to enjoy four months at the helm, over which Tottenham lost seven and won nine of their 17 fixtures across all competitions.
Conte arrived in the capital to replace Nuno the day after Tottenham fired the Portuguese. He signed an 18-month deal worth £13m-a-year with Spurs, who have an option to extend the terms by a year. Yet the Italian could look for a way out after just six months in charge.
Conte could ditch Tottenham to replace Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain
Julien Laurens has told talkSPORT that Paris Saint-Germain have spoken to Conte’s camp over the Tottenham boss replacing Mauricio Pochettino. The Spurs chief is open to the job in Ligue 1, but is also happy in north London if they can qualify for the Champions League.
PSG are also prioritising hiring Zinedine Zidane as Pochettino’s successor, but he wants the France job. Yet Bleus gaffer Didier Deschamps told RTL last year: “I’m very good here, I’m very happy, fulfilled. I may even continue after 2022 with the agreement of my president.”
Zidane passing on the opportunity of taking charge of Paris Saint-Germain could, then, see Conte ditch Tottenham this summer. So, how are some of the alternative names Levy eyed in 2021 before appointing Nuno now faring, with the Portuguese far from his first-choice?
Julian Nagelsmann snubs Tottenham for Bayern, before Hansi Flick selects Germany
Julian Nagelsmann was one of the early contenders to replace Mourinho at Tottenham as the German’s RB Leipzig success appealed. However, Fabrizio Romano noted in April 2021 that he rejected Spurs’ approach, among others, to replace Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich.
The 34-year-old coach has since led Der FCB to their 10th Bundesliga title in a row. Bayern Munich also reached the Champions League quarter-finals and beat Borussia Dortmund in the Super Cup. Their DFB-Pokal efforts ended in a 5-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Flick had asked Bayern Munich to release him from his contract at the Allianz Area in April last year. Tottenham sensed it as a chance to secure his services, with The Guardian noting that Levy held talks. But Flick instead chose to replace Joachim Low as Germany manager.
Die Mannschaft are so far unbeaten over their nine games under Flick with eight wins and a draw. Their form ensured Germany qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, where they will face Spain, Japan and one of Costa Rica or New Zealand during the group stage this winter.
Tottenham interviewed Erik Ten Hag, Ajax boss now joining Manchester United
Manchester United have made Erik Ten Hag the highest-paid Dutch manager in Premier League history, per De Telegraaf. But a year ago, the 52-year-old could have left Ajax for Tottenham as Levy sounded out his services to replace Mourinho before turning to Nuno.
However, the Mirror report Levy backed away from appointing Ten Hag as he believed the Dutchman interviewed poorly. Spurs feared he lacked the right credentials and baulked at building a large backroom team, as he only named one coach he was willing to work with.
Ten Hag could now leave Ajax at the end of the 2021/22 season with an Eredivisie title and join Manchester United. De Godenzonen sit atop the table by four points with four fixtures to play. But they lost the KNVB Beker final to rivals PSV Eindhoven 2-1 earlier in the month.
Mauricio Pochettino eyed for Tottenham return and again to replace Antonio Conte
Mourinho moved to north London to replace Pochettino in 2019 after a disappointing start to the Premier League term. And just two years later, Levy considered bringing him back to replace his own successor, with The Sun reporting that Levy accepted he made a mistake.
Levy could make it two-for-two and push for Pochettino to now replace Conte as manager at Tottenham this summer, too. RMC Sport note the Tottenham chairman would welcome Pochettino back if Conte wants to go, having been seduced by Paris Saint-Germain’s offer.
Conte, though, is demanding €30m-a-season (£25m) to replace Pochettino at Le Parc des Princes. He has also asked for total control over transfers with the arrival of a director of football he supports. The Italian has even outlined his plans to control the dressing room.
Pochettino, meanwhile, has secured PSG a record-equalling 10th French top-flight title this season – joining Saint-Etienne in double-figures. But Les Parisiens also exited the Coupe de France in the last 16 to Nice and Champions League last 16 to Real Madrid after leading.
Paulo Fonseca ‘agreement was done’ to be new Tottenham manager
After failing to bring Pochettino back to north London from Paris Saint-Germain, rejecting Ten Hag and missing out on Nagelsmann and Flick, Tottenham put their eggs in the Paulo Fonseca basket and sought to make the Portuguese their next manager after Mourinho.
Fonseca even told The Telegraph in September 2021 that the “agreement was done” with Spurs to take over the helm. However, the arrival of Paratici as managing director saw his deal thrown out the window. Even after putting plans in place with Levy for pre-season.
“We were planning the pre-season and Tottenham wanted an offensive coach,” he added. “But things changed when the new managing director arrived and we didn’t agree with some ideas and he preferred another coach.
“I have some principles. I wanted to be coach of the great teams, but I want the right project and a club where the people believe in my ideas, my way to play, and this didn’t happen with the managing director.”
Fonseca was out of work before Tottenham contacted the Portuguese after leaving Roma and being replaced by Mourinho that summer. He is yet to take on a new position, either, after Newcastle pulled the plug on his appointment, per Guillem Balague, later on in 2021.
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