With Antonio Conte coming under pressure as Tottenham boss, questions are already being asked about who might replace him – and the club have received a big lift in their pursuit of another former Chelsea manager.
Tottenham are enduring a strange run of form under Conte. They have a tendency to go behind in matches, forcing them to turn on the style in the second half of games to either snatch a win or draw. This is shown perfectly by the 2-2 draw with Brentford on Boxing Day.
Goals from Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney put Brentford 2-0 up before half time. Tottenham did eventually get a point as goals from Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after the break resulted in the clash ending 2-2.
Since then, Spurs have picked up two wins and two defeats. They lost 2-0 to Aston Villa on New Year’s Day, before beating Crystal Palace 4-0. Then, they secured a 1-0 FA Cup victory against Portsmouth, only to lose 2-0 to rivals Arsenal in their next outing.
Conte has been slammed for playing Ryan Sessegnon instead of Ivan Perisic in the north London derby, which allowed Bukayo Saka to shine for Arsenal.
Spurs fans are becoming fed up with the unreliable results. Conte’s side can look great one week and shocking the next.
Amid all these problems, talk is ramping up about who could arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to replace the Italian. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is reportedly considering Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Joachim Low and Luis Enrique. And it is Tuchel who ranks highly among the potential candidates.
The Evening Standard have now provided an update on Spurs’ hunt for a new manager. Levy has been handed a major boost as Tuchel is apparently happy to link up with Spurs, should the opportunity emerge.
Ex-Chelsea man ready for Tottenham switch
Following his sacking by Chelsea in September, Tuchel is now ready to get back into management. He is willing to consider proposals from clubs, and Spurs are highly likely to make an approach if they axe Conte.
While the German is ‘open to an offer from Spurs’, he is not in contact with anyone from the north London side just yet.
Tuchel is also learning Spanish. This suggests he could take charge of a La Liga side if the potential Spurs move falls through.
Tuchel’s favourite assistants, Zsolt Low and Arno Michels, would be free to join him at Spurs, the report reveals. However, Levy would not be able to rely on Tuchel’s former analyst Benjamin Weber. This is because he is now the sporting director of German club SC Paderborn.
It would be an interesting turn of events if Tuchel went to Spurs. Levy has a history of appointing former Chelsea bosses, as shown by Jose Mourinho and then Conte. Tuchel could yet join that list.
Thomas Tuchel boasts good CV
The latter had a successful time at Chelsea, winning them the Champions League in 2021. He was let go earlier this season after struggling to get used to the new ownership. The decision has not been met well by all Chelsea fans though, with some of them singing Tuchel’s name at a recent defeat to Manchester City.
Tuchel could be a great replacement for Conte. He plays a similar style to Conte, one which generally involves wing-backs. As such, Spurs would not need to adjust their squad too much.
Plus, Tuchel has Premier League experience and a history of winning trophies at the top level. This means he should not need too much time to adjust to his new role.
Conte would probably be angry if Tuchel came in as his successor. The two clashed following a 2-2 draw in August, which saw Tuchel receive a fine and one-match touchline ban.
But if Conte cannot turn the Spurs results around, then this is the reality that is facing him.