Tottenham Hotspur emerge from the international break with only six teams below them in the Premier League and nine matches left to play.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has done well to stay in his post this far and it’s increasingly difficult to see him taking charge next season.
Postecoglou’s Spurs have won just ten of their Premier League matches this season and the club’s bigwigs have started activating their succession plan, according to reports.
Tottenham Hotspur target Premier League manager to replace Ange Postecoglou
The Athletic reports that Postecoglou’s future is in “serious doubt” and that chairman Daniel Levy and Spurs have identified their number one target to take over from him.
It’s understood that Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is Spurs’ first choice if they do elect to end Postecoglou’s reign.
The Cherries have suffered their own dip in form since Liverpool ended their long unbeaten run at the start of February but remain at the highest point in their history.
Iraola has revolutionised Bournemouth’s playing style and given a talented squad a chance of qualification for European football. It’s inevitable that he’ll be in demand in the summer.
Despite their poor season, Spurs will be an attractive prospect for any manager who fancies himself to fix a failing giant. Iraola wouldn’t be an easy acquisition but there are practical limits on Bournemouth’s short-term ambition.
Both Postecoglou and Iraola have a year left on their contracts and The Athletic reports that the Australian isn’t yet on borrowed time at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Bournemouth will be expected to resist any approach for Iraola and Spurs reportedly have two other Premier League managers on their radar.
Thomas Frank has stabilised and advanced Brentford as a Premier League outfit since he became their head coach in 2018. The Dane is highly regarded and has the Bees playing in a way that seems well suited to Spurs’ personnel.
Elsewhere in West London, Marco Silva has Fulham fighting for a European place. They’re a point ahead of Bournemouth in the Premier League table and Silva, like Iraola and Frank, might consider how much further he can go.
The prospect of European football in 2025/26 isn’t something Spurs will be presenting to Iraola, Silva or Frank.
Should they manage to reach and then win the Europa League final in Bilbao, Postecoglou would surely be the favourite to continue as manager.
Spurs return to Premier League action next weekend when they welcome Chelsea to North London.
Iraola’s Bournemouth take on Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final this Sunday afternoon.
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