Tottenham President Daniel Levy has decided who he wants to be the next coach for if Antonio Conte decides to leave early. Conte was set to leave Spurs this summer, just six months after signing for a 18-month contract. The Italian coach has recently expressed disappointment in the vision and ambition of the North London team.
Spurs have lost their last three Premier League games. They have reached the 5th round of the FA Cup and will have to visit the Manchester United team, Middlesbrough. Tottenham are also in a difficult situation in the race for a ticket to the Champions League, while Conte also failed to bring his team to the knockout round of the Europa Conference League.
In the January transfer window, the 52-year-old was left out of the players he wanted and spoke about that earlier this week. However, at a press conference before the match at Manchester City on Saturday (0:30 on February 20 - Vietnam time), Conte stated that the media was trying to create a confrontation between him and Levy. He said that his interview was mistakenly translated and that the club did not agree to let him answer the interview with Sky Sports Italia.
It should be mentioned that Sky Sports Italia, meaning Conte can completely speak in his hometown without having to use English for localization. The truth of the story has not been clarified, but the "fire" inside has been on fire.
Conte may try to calm down but the media is still not lacking information to " pour more oil on the fire". Accordingly, British media reported that President Levy has set a name for himself to replace him if Conte leaves.
The Telegraph confirmed that his top target is Mauricio Pochettino, a former Spurs coach who is also a target for Manchester United. Pochettino is currently leading Paris Saint-Germain but has been linked with the French team many times.
The newspaper said there were growing concerns that Conte could leave in the summer, as he has a good grasp of Tottenhams ambitions. Levy will then call Pochettino directly in an effort to get him back to the Premier League.
Tottenham wanted an Argentine coach last summer but he chose to stay with PSG. He was linked with a place in Man United last November, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked. But the Red Devils eventually appointed an interim manager until the end of the season instead of paying Pochettino to break his contract with PSG.
According to the Telegraph, Pochettino is likely to leave PSG this summer to create more favorable conditions for Man United or Spurs. However, Old Trafford could be his preferred destination, while Real Madrid have also been linked with interest in the 49-year-old.
Pochettino previously led Spurs for 5 years from 2014 to 2019. He could not end the club's thirst for titles, despite helping them reach the Champions League final for the first time in his final year in charge.
