Tottenham Hotspur are poised to hire Paulo Fonseca as their new manager in a surprise move – but it could work out well for Mykola Matviyenko.
Tottenham’s manager search took them to Brendan Rodgers, Erik ten Hag, Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte and now, finally, two months after sacking Jose Mourinho, Fonseca.
Calciomercato claim Fonseca, who left Roma at the end of the season, will sign a two-year deal with the option of a third year at Tottenham.
Tottenham have looked at Matviyenko, who played for Fonseca
Spurs have been linked with a number of centre backs in recent times, and Ukrainian ace Mykola Matviyenko was maybe one rumour that went under the radar.
Football.ua reported that Tottenham spoke to Matviyenko’s agent in April in an effort to tee up a summer deal for the defender.
The 25-year-old played 34 games under Fonseca at Shakhtar, recording three goals and two assists under the Tottenham-bound boss.
What has Fonseca said about Matviyenko?
In 2018, Fonseca told Dialogs that he feels Matviyenko has a ‘great future’ ahead of him and is a defender with ‘excellent qualities’, suggesting he is a huge fan.
Matviyenko praised Fonseca too, telling Korrespondent of how great Fonseca was at teaching him defensive positioning.
A reunion suddenly looks feasible, and given that Matviyenko is a naturally left-footed centre back, he could be Jan Vertonghen’s heir and a great fit if Fonseca chooses to play three at the back, with those Tottenham talks in April now looking important.
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