Tottenham have held initial talks with Antonio Conte about their vacant head coach position, with the Italian emerging as a strong contender for the role.
Spurs are still without a manager despite sacking Jose Mourinho on April 19, having missed out on appointing their top two targets Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers.
It is understood initial contact between former Chelsea manager Conte and Tottenham has taken place with both parties believed to be open to a deal.
Importantly, Daniel Levy is understood to be behind the prospect of appointing the Italian, despite his history with Tottenham’s arch rivals.
Spurs have also explored the possibility of bringing Mauricio Pochettino back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – but luring him from his current position at Paris Saint-Germain is proving complex.
The French club insists Pochettino is staying and have even triggered an extra year on his contract, adding another layer of difficulty in trying to extract the Argentine from his current contract.
For Pochettino to be appointed Mourinho’s successor, it would require the former Southampton boss to walk away from his job in France.
Even then, Tottenham would be required to pay a level of compensation to PSG owing to the notice period in his current contract.
Appointing Conte would prove far simpler given he is currently a free agent after leaving Inter Milan last month despite leading the club to their first Serie A title since 2010.
The fact he has experience of the Premier League, winning the title with Chelsea during his first season in charge, is an obvious attraction.
Juventus’ administrator Fabio Paratici has been linked with a move to Spurs with Conte.
Conte quit as Inter Milan boss just a week after masterminding their first Scudetto win in nine years – with the Italian said to have grown frustrated with the club’s lack of financial resources.
As part of the termination of his contract, Conte is now barred from taking over another Italian side during the 2021-22 campaign.
Source:dailyguidenetwork.com