Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League • England
Tottenham told they could get their very own version of Pep Guardiola with slight left-field managerial choice
Tottenham have been told that they could get their very own version of Pep Guardiola if they turn to the Netherlands for their next permanent manager.
The race to become the next Spurs boss took a bit of a twist when it was revealed that former manager Mauricio Pochettino was in advanced talks to take over at bitter London rivals Chelsea.
Many Tottenham fans were calling for Daniel Levy to give the Argentine another crack at the job given his popularity, and the brand of football the team played last time around.
However, it appears that Levy still has lingering doubts about going down that route again, allowing Chelsea to seemingly step in.
Several other names continue to be linked with the post that is currently being looked after by Ryan Mason, after the exits of first Antonio Conte and then his replacement Christian Stellini.
Julian Nagelsmann remains one of the favourites, along with Luis Enrique, Ruben Almiron and Roberto de Zerbi.
However, Tottenham have been told they could do a lot worse than appointing Feyenoord chief Arne Slot rather than a bigger name.
That’s according to former Netherlands forward Wim Kieft, who has likened the way Slot works to that of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
Slot has been impressing with Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie this season, leading them to the top of the table ahead of the likes of Ajax and PSV.
His reputation has been growing as a result and he was linked with the Leeds job after they sacked Jesse Marsch earlier in the campaign.
But since then there have been rumours that Spurs have a genuine interest in the 44-year-old, who is on their list of candidates to replace Conte.
Kieft raves over Arne Slot qualities
And Kieft would certainly recommend that appointment, explaining that Tottenham, or any club for that matter, would be getting their own version of Guardiola.
“The nice thing about Guardiola is that with him football is not just about winning prizes,” he says in De Telegraaf, relayed by Soccer News.
“Of course, he wants to win prizes, but he just makes sure it is always fun to watch his teams. At Barcelona he obviously had Lionel Messi, he had Xavi and Iniesta there too.
“But wherever he sat in all the years, everywhere you immediately saw his hand. What Guardiola does at Manchester City, Arne Slot does at Feyenoord, but at a different level.
“That has everything to do with money, but his view and his philosophy are the same. Slot has to work with players of lesser quality.”
While Slot’s playing style would certainly endear him to Tottenham fans, he would still be viewed as a gamble coming from Holland.
Manchester United also had the same consideration with Erik ten Hag and, despite some disappointments along the way, have arguably made better progress than many thought this season.
It just remains to be seen which direction Levy wants to go and whether he wants to appoint another high-profile name, given what happened with both Jose Mourinho and Conte.
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