Tottenham shockingly land on Liverpool great as prime manager candidate as key factor sees boss overtake Dutch option
Tottenham could surprisingly appoint an iconic former Liverpool midfielder as their new head coach after an instrumental factor saw him overtake Feyenoord’s Arne Slot in the running.
Tottenham have been looking for a new boss since mutually agreeing Antonio Conte’s exit in late March. They appointed Conte’s assistant, Cristian Stellini, on an interim basis until the end of the season, but he only lasted four matches and was sacked on April 24.
Ryan Mason has once again been placed in caretaker charge, having done so in 2021 following Jose Mourinho’s departure.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has been expected to appoint Julian Nagelsmann after his release by Bayern Munich, with fellow option Mauricio Pochettino close to joining Chelsea.
But Tottenham are concerned about the money they will have to pay Bayern. As the German giants only released Nagelsmann, rather than sacking him, they will be due compensation if he heads to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Nagelsmann himself also has two concerns about signing for Spurs. The first is their lack of a director of football following Fabio Paratici’s resignation. Secondly, Nagelsmann is unsure whether Spurs would splash the cash to sign the top-level players he wants to bring in.
Dutch source De Telegraaf have now provided the latest information on Spurs’ hunt for a new manager. They reinforce an update from ESPN which names Slot as a ‘serious’ candidate.
Slot has done a brilliant job at Feyenoord, helping them to be on the cusp of a first Dutch league title since 2016-17.
Arne Slot and Liverpool icon in contention at Spurs
Spurs believe Slot could follow in Erik ten Hag’s footsteps by bringing an exciting brand of football to the Premier League, just like his Dutch compatriot has done at Manchester United.
However, Slot is not the only coach Spurs are eyeing up. De Telegraaf write that chairman Daniel Levy is also casting admiring glances towards Xabi Alonso.
The Liverpool great, who won a Champions League, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup during a five-year spell at Anfield, was appointed Bayer Leverkusen’s manager in October.
It is the first time he has been in charge of a senior team, but he is doing a good job. Leverkusen sit sixth in the Bundesliga and are on course to qualify for next season’s Europa League.
And Alonso’s side remain in this year’s version of the Europa League, as they will come up against Jose Mourinho and Roma in the last four.
While Slot has more experience as a first-team coach, Spurs think Alonso might be better suited to managing at the top level.
After all, the Bundesliga is a harder league to be successful in than the Eredivisie, while Leverkusen have gone further in Europe than Feyenoord. Plus, Alonso has experience playing in the Prem, which should help him adapt quickly to the Spurs job.
It is now up to Alonso to decide whether he wants to take this big next step or remain at Leverkusen. The Spaniard must also consider his strong connections with the Liverpool faithful. If he joins Spurs, he could ruin his fantastic reputation at Anfield.
