It doesn't feel like long since Antonio Conte arrived at Tottenham, yet he is already being linked with a move away from the capital. This comes as Mauricio Pochettino's managerial role at Paris Saint-Germain is in doubt, despite the French side just winning Ligue 1.
Spurs are currently fifth in the Premier League table, two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, as they continue to fight for a spot in the top four. The Italian has already made great improvements to individual players and the Tottenham team as a whole, both on and off the pitch.
The Lilywhites have five games left to try and secure Champions League football for next season. Their most recent two matches, a defeat to Brighton and draw at Brentford, involved lacklustre performances and disappointing results, in games where three points were massively needed.
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Despite the league title victory, PSG's exit from the Champions League, after losing to Real Madrid over two legs in the round of 16, has left fans unhappy with Pochettino and his managerial role is now in doubt. With the success that Conte has had at various clubs, it isn't a surprise that he has been linked as a replacement for the Argentine.
Last month, the Italian revealed his commitment to the club. "I think it would be very important to have a good vision, if you have that in football you have a lot of hope to be successful," the 52-year-old admitted.
"We have showed we have just started to improve the situation. To be competitive, to become strong, to fight to win the league or stay in the top four, we need a big, big improvement.
"I am committed to this club for another year and the club wanted this type of situation. I accepted because it was good to know each other," Conte added.
football.london reported on Monday that the Italian will have a post-season meeting, with Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy to determine what happens next at Tottenham. This could also come down to where Spurs manage to finish at the end of the season, with Champions League football providing a financial boost and will help in attracting potential incomings during the summer transfer window.
Spurs' last four managers (Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and now Conte) have all been given contracts to take them until 2023, whether that has been with their initial contracts, or extensions during their time at the club. Just a few days after the Italian's appointment at Tottenham, Clinton Morrison revealed that he believed Pochettino could eventually replace the 52-year-old.
"I also think there could be a chance that we might one day see Pochettino go back to Tottenham," Morrison admitted on Sky Sports, via HITC. This may not just be what the 42-year-old thinks, as Pochettino himself has previously spoken about a return to Spurs.
"Before I die I want to manage Tottenham and try to win one title! It will be an opportunity to pay back fans for all the love they showed us," the Argentine admitted two years ago.
"From the day that I left the club, my dream is to one day be back and finish the work we didn't finish. Deep inside I would like one day to be back, this club is special."
Pochettino led his Spurs side to the Champions League final in 2019, where they lost to Liverpool. The 50-year-old spent a number of great years at Tottenham and was loved by the fans, but couldn't quite end the trophy drought that is still ongoing.
Last year, football.london reported that Tottenham had held talks with Pochettino about a return to the club. Reports have been circulating in France over the last few days that Levy has been calling the Argentine over this return.
However, Pochettino's camp have told football.london that is not the case, with relatively little contact between the two men in recent times other than the odd friendly message. Therefore the status of both the current and former Spurs managers are still unclear.
There may have been thoughts that Conte's contract being up at the end of next season would've paved way for Pochettino to then return, in time for the 2023/24 campaign. However, if the Argentine is sacked in the coming days, who knows where he could end up.
Equally, Spurs would be hoping the Italian would remain in N17 for the remainder of his contract, with vast improvements already seen in his first six months. However, if Tottenham fail to secure a top-four spot and/or Conte isn't backed in the summer, who knows how long the 52-year-old will stay in north London.
There are a number of questions still to be answered regarding both managers' futures. Although a number of Spurs fans would love to see Pochettino back in north London, many are also enjoying the Italian's work so far and hoping he can help Tottenham make the step-up they need from being a top-four contending team, to one battling for a league title.
