Asian Champions League winners Al Ahli have ‘made contact’ with former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou, according to reports.
Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham earlier this month despite leading the club to their first major trophy in 17 years.
The north Londoners beat Manchester United 1-0 in May’s Europa League final in Bilbao, qualifying for next season’s Champions League despite a disastrous domestic campaign that saw them finish 17th in the Premier League with 22 defeats.
That league form proved too awful to ignore for Daniel Levy, who relieved the Australian of his duties and has since appointed Thomas Frank, who left Brentford after seven years in charge.
Postecoglou is reportedly eager to jump straight back into management and could now make the move to Saudi Arabia.
MORE: Five Brentford stars reassigned to PL rivals amid Frank to Tottenham as Man Utd, Arsenal benefit
There have been rumours all week linking him with Asian champions Al Ahli, who boast stars such as Franck Kessie, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney.
David Ornstein has now reported for The Athletic that Al Ahli have ‘made contact’ with the 59-year-old.
Al Ahli are currently managed by Matthias Jaissle but may be forced into a change, with the club so far unable to tie him down to a new contract. The Saudi outfit are reportedly considering several alternatives in case Jaissle departs, with ex-Barcelona boss Xavi among the candidates.
Jaissle, who is under contract until 2026, is a club hero after leading Al Ahli to AFC Champions League success in May.
Ornstein adds that talks between Postecoglou and Al Ahli are ‘moving quickly’.
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Postecoglou’s dismissal has drawn widespread criticism, but Spurs insisted in a club statement that they ‘couldn’t make decisions based on emotion’.
“We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.
“However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.
“At times there were extenuating circumstances – injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.
“It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond.
“This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.
“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future – he will always be welcome back at our home.”