Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly holding discussions about life after Antonio Conte, with his departure said to be ‘inevitable’.
Conte’s contract at Spurs is set to expire in the summer, and while the North London club do have the option to extend it by a further year, it has been reported that they would not want to tie him down to a deal against his will.
Spurs‘ wait for silverware will have to go on as they limped out of the Champions League on Wednesday night, drawing 0-0 with AC Milan despite needing to win by two goals to progress.
According to the Times, the Italian’s departure is now seen as ‘inevitable’, with the former Italy boss potentially even leaving before the end of the season depending on how their remaining 12 Premier League fixtures pan out.
They report that ‘discussions have begun’ over the timing of Conte’s departure as well as ‘who should succeed him as head coach’.
The London Evening Standard back up these claims, though say that the club have decided to ‘stick by their head coach for now’.
They do however say that managing director Fabio Paratici has already ‘drawn up a shortlist of possible replacements’, with former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique at the top of his list.
The former midfielder has been out of work since leaving his role with Spain following their disappointing World Cup.
The Evening Standard does, however, point to doubts about Paratici’s own future at the club, the Italian currently awaiting the outcome of his appeal that bans him from working within Italian football for 30 months, a ban that is expected to be extended across Europe should the appeal fail.
Former boss Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a return to the North London club in recent weeks, though whether Daniel Levy will swallow his pride and re-appoint a man he sacked in 2019 is yet to be seen.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel and Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi have also been linked.
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