Report claims Tottenham have already ditched plans to appoint volatile boss

Daniel Levy, Tottenham chairman

Tottenham’s long search for a new manager will continue after they reportedly decided against appointing Gennaro Gattuso to the vacant position.

The Italian emerged as a potential option for Spurs on Thursday alongside Paulo Fonseca, with whom talks are believed to have broken down. Earlier in the day, Gattuso surprisingly exited Fiorentina after only 23 days in the hotseat of the Serie A club.

Conversations took place between Tottenham and the 43-year-old former Milan and Napoli boss — as they have done with numerous contenders — however, The Athletic claims that Gattuso will not be getting the job.

The first meeting between Tottenham and Gattuso was said to have been ‘positive’. However, it appears that a the former Rangers midfielder will not be heading to north London.

The news comes after Tottenham fans urged the club to rethink their potential appointment of the fiery Italian.

A list of controversial, historical comments from Gattuso have resurfaced, while there is also the small matter of his spat with former Tottenham assistant boss Joe Jordan.

The Milan midfielder aimed a headbutt at Jordan as Milan were beaten 1-0 by Spurs in the Champions League last-16 clash.

While his management style is not said to be quite as spiky, it would appear that Tottenham have decided against an appointment.


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Paratici targets Serie A striker

Meanwhile, new Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici is already looking back to Serie A for potential transfer targets, with one striker in particular now reportedly on his radar.

Paratici has a big rebuilding job to do after joining Tottenham from Juventus. Not only does he have a new head coach to appoint, he will oversee their summer transfer activity. One of the biggest tasks in that department will be resolving the future of Harry Kane. Chairman Daniel Levy remains desperate to keep the England captain.

But if Kane is sold, Tottenham will need to find an adequate replacement. Very few players can match Kane’s level, so they will have to be clever in how they go about it.

They brought Paratici in to make smart signings, so he will have a big role in determining Kane’s successor if he leaves. And according to Tuttosport, the managing director already knows which players he could pursue.

Fiorentina facing Vlahovic fight

It is claimed that Paratici could prompt Tottenham to target Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina. The Serbian striker is only 21 years old but is already one of the most dangerous attackers in Serie A.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Luis Muriel outscored the Fiorentina frontman in the Italian top flight last season. With 21 goals from 37 games, he scored at a better rate than many of the league’s other prominent strikers.

Now, Fiorentina face a battle to keep hold of him, as his contract only has another two years left. Due to his potential, his market value should be growing. But his contractual situation could lead to the opposite scenario for his current club.

As things stand, they are eager to keep the 6ft 2in powerhouse. With that in mind, he will command a high fee this summer. But Spurs could try to tempt Fiorentina into selling.

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