Tottenham Hotspur have drafted a shortlist to replace Antonio Conte as manager at the end of the season.
That's according to one report that says that the Italian is expected to depart come May when his contract expires, with players having grown tired of his methods. Tottenham have the option to extend Conte's contract by another year if they choose to.
Last night, AC Milan knocked Spurs out of the Champions League with a goalless draw in north London to secure a 1-0 win on aggregate. It leaves the Lilywhites 15 years without a trophy, following their FA Cup exit and how far they are adrift in the Premier League.
After a tough season for Conte, both personally and professionally, there is an acceptance that he could well be off at the end of the season. The Athletic are reporting that Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino remain the frontrunners – though there are a number of leftfield candidates on the list.
Pochettino remains the popular pick with fans, while Tuchel represents an option who has plenty of trophy-winning experience. The state of the current squad, however, coupled with potentially more appealing opportunities could be blow to landing either. Real Madrid may part ways with Carlo Ancelotti in the summer – Los Blancos remain fans of both coaches – while Tuchel is thought to be of interest to Bayern Munich.
Beyond those two, Marco Silva of Fulham and Thomas Frank of Brentford have been touted as potential options to take charge. Both have their west London sides flying in the Premier League and both could be tasked with a full-scale rebuild of the side.
Ryan Mason, who coaches at Tottenham, is highly-regarded, too – the ex-Spurs midfielder may be a little young to take charge at 32, though Mikel Arteta at Arsenal is a good example for Mason to be a strong pick, despite the rivalry.
Steve Cooper is also touted by The Athletic. Another option may well be former Tottenham star Michael Carrick, who is excelling in the Championship with Middlesbrough, while Luis Enrique, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Bruno Lage are the headline managers out of work right now.
Tottenham face Nottingham Forest this weekend.
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