Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is determined to prove the club’s ambition with the next appointment - to convince Harry Kane to stay.
Cristian Stellini has been put in temporary charge after Antonio Conte was sacked but they are drawing up a shortlist of summer targets headed with Julian Nagelsmann a leading candidate.
And the first task will be to ensure that Kane - who turns 30 this summer - stays as the England captain’s contract is due to expire in 2024.
Tottenham are desperate not to sell to a Premier League rival this summer even though Manchester United are pushing hard to sign Kane in what would be a blockbuster £100m deal.
But Spurs would rather wait and run the risk of moving the final year of his contract if they can persuade Kane that the club can deliver the trophies and success that he craves.
That will be the top priority with Tottenham desperate to also finish in the top four this season as they have ten games left to secure Champions League football which could be key in their managerial search.
Nagelsmann is open to having talks with Tottenham having been axed as Bayern Munich manager last week as they replaced him with Thomas Tuchel.
Levy wanted Nagelsmann in 2021 but the German went to Bayern instead but now faces a dilemma over whether Spurs would be the right next step after managing one of Europe’s super clubs.
Mauricio Pochettino would be the fans’ and emotional choice but the ex-Spurs boss will weigh up his options this summer with the potential of Real Madrid even being available.
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Former Spain boss Luis Enrique has been championed by Spurs director of football Fabio Paratici. Paratici could face a worldwide ban after being caught up in the Juventus scandal but that court case has been postponed until May.
Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is on their radar as well as Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi while Brentford’s Thomas Frank is also in the bookies’ odds.
