‘Outstanding’: Simon Jordan thinks 47-year-old could be Tottenham’s answer to Klopp

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Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo is a ‘proven leader of men’ who could make a Jurgen Klopp-style impact at Tottenham Hotspur, former Premier League owner Simon Jordan told talkSPORT (20 April, 12.30pm).

Could Spurs be tempted to swap a straight-talking Portuguese tactician represented by Jorge Mendes for, well, a straight-talking Portuguese tactician represented by Jorge Mendes?

The Express reported last week – four days before Jose Mourinho got the chop – that Nuno Espirito Santo had been lined up as one of the leading candidates to take over at Tottenham.

While the 2020/21 campaign has been about as underwhelming and uneventful as a mass-produced Netflix thriller for Wolverhampton Wanderers, it should not be forgotten that, in the space of two years, Nuno took the club from the middle of the Championship to the Europa League quarter-finals, while turning Diogo Jota, Raul Jimenez and co into household names.

With that in mind, Jordan feels that Nuno would be a far better fit than the likes of Eddie Howe and Rafa Benitez for a Tottenham side crying out for a charismatic figurehead, not to mention a forward-thinking and intelligent tactician.

“Too big a job for (Eddie Howe),” former Crystal Palace boss Jordan said. “I think Rafa Benitez’s star is far less than it was before. He couldn’t cut it at Real Madrid.

“Spurs need something very different now. They need a Klopp, someone to get hold of them.

“There’s your guy (Nuno). He’s an outstanding manager. He’s got all the energy, vitality and determination but can you get him out of Wolves?

“With his attitude towards players, with his style of play, with his conviction… he doesn’t care about anyone besides his team. He’s a proven leader of men and he’s built a team in Wolves who have knocked on the door (of the elite).”

While the assumption would be that Wolves are desperate to hang on to Nuno for as long as humanly possible, it is worth pointing out that a number of potential replacements have already been mentioned.

Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso has been linked, as has former Benfica coach Bruno Lage.