Luis Enrique is happy to hold face-to-face talks with Tottenham Hotspur as he emerges as a strong contender for the Spurs job.
That is according to a new report from 90Min, who claim that Enrique is happy to go into negotiations with Tottenham.
It’s stated that Spurs have already had ‘positive discussions’ with Enrique’s representatives.
The next step is face-to-face talks and Enrique is happy to proceed, suggesting that he is keen on the job.
The cynical view would be that Enrique is happy to speak to Spurs because he is trying to force an offer from Chelsea.
Enrique has already held talks with Chelsea but has yet to receive a firm offer from the Blues.
Chelsea seem to be preferring Julian Nagelsmann, which has opened the door for Spurs to propose talks with Enrique.
These talks with Enrique appear to be the firmest move yet from Tottenham as they seek a new manager.
Luis Enrique is a risk for Tottenham
It’s not hard to see why Enrique appeals to Chelsea and Tottenham.
The 52-year-old won a Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 as well as landing two league titles.
Enrique took over as Spain boss and guided them to the Euro 2020 semi-finals, only to narrowly lose out to Italy on penalties.
Spain played some lovely football throughout Enrique’s reign and clubs now want that approach for themselves.
The reality is that Enrique hasn’t managed at club level since 2017, so plunging him straight back into a top job is a risk.
Additionally, Enrique tends to favour the ‘tiki taka’ approach that we see from many Spanish coaches.
Tottenham don’t really have the players to play that way and appointing Enrique would require a squad overhaul and major investment.
If Daniel Levy and co are willing to fund that kind of rebuild then Enrique is very appealing.
Expecting him to change the fortunes of this group is something different entirely though and Spurs should be wary of that during talks.
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