Tottenham Hotspur are once again on the hunt for a new head coach after Antonio Conte was relieved from his duties during the March international break.
Whilst it’s been confirmed that Christian Stellini will take charge of Spurs’ matches until the end of the season, the club will be beginning an exhaustive process to appoint the right man when summer comes, so we break down the potential candidates the north London side could consider for next season.
Julian Nagelsmann
German coach Julian Nagelsmann has a relatively limited CV compared to some of the other names being touted for the Spurs job but will arguably be the most coveted of the candidates by clubs around Europe. Having only started his managerial career in 2016 at the age of 28, becoming the youngest head coach in Bundesliga history, Nagelsmann has enjoyed a meteoric rise in German football throughout the last half a decade.
The 34-year-old led RB Leipzig to their first ever Champions League semi-final in his first season in charge, eventually crashing out to PSG in the one-legged semi-final format due to COVID. After reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League again the following season, Nagelsmann was awarded the biggest job in German football when Bayern Munich came knocking on the door at the end of the campaign, leading the Bavarian side to last season’s Bundesliga title and the Champions League quarter-final this term before being sacked last month.
Despite his young age, Nagelsmann is known as a tactical innovator by players who work with him and may provide some attacking joy for Spurs fans that have been sentenced to dour, defensive-minded football from their last three managers. The German is 6/1 to take the reins in north London next season.
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers was one of the most sought-after British managers in the Premier League two seasons ago after leading Leicester City to an FA Cup triumph and Europa League finish in 2021. Fast forward two years, the Northern Irishman is now out of a job and the east Midlands side find themselves fighting a fierce relegation battle.
There’s no doubting Rodgers’ ability as a manager – his title push with Liverpool in the 2013/14 season where they narrowly lost the league to Manchester City was totally unexpected and a huge credit to his fearless, attacking coaching. Rodgers then led Celtic to successive trebles between 2016 and 2018, so he certainly knows how to get the most out of his players domestically.
Rodgers’ stock price may have understandably fallen after an underwhelming season with Leicester City, who were bottom of the Premier League table until recently, despite having the likes of Youri Tielemans, James Maddison and Harvey Barnes in their ranks. Regardless, he’s the market favourite at 10/3 to be in charge of Spurs next season.
Graham Potter
You sense that Graham Potter may be a tad relieved his time at Chelsea came to an end last weekend. He’s undoubtedly a brilliant coach and man-manager, but the fit wasn’t quite right for the former Brighton man, who may consider re-earning his stripes at a club chasing the European places rather than one that demands challenging for the league title almost instantaneously.
A job vacancy at Tottenham may provide him with the perfect opportunity to do just that. Spurs fans are realistic with their ambitions for the club and if he can get them playing positive football again, they may be willing to give Potter the time he needs to work his magic with an undoubtedly talented squad.
Potter is 6/1 to assume the role and lead out Tottenham when the season starts again in August, putting him as the joint third favourite for the job.
Mauricio Pochettino
This is the appointment all Spurs fans want. Having led Tottenham to their first ever Champions League final in 2019, Mauricio Pochettino redefined Spurs as a club in the modern era, bringing an attractive and daring brand of football that saw the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen rise into prominence.
After an indifferent period with PSG in the 2021/22 season, the Argentine is still without a club, and one would assume he’d be open to returning to the place where he really made his name as a manager. His time at Spurs was brought to an end only months after that Champions League final appearance with a chastening 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich while residing in 14th in the Premier League, but most Tottenham fans would likely be willing to put that period behind them.
The Argentine is 9/2 to take over as boss between now and the start of next season, making him the second favourite for the role behind Brendan Rodgers.
