Tottenham's hunt for a new permanent manager is poised to begin this summer, and Spurs will ideally still be in the Premier League by that point.
Spurs identify new manager targets amid disastrous campaign
The north Londoners are in crisis, and the search for a permanent manager could get messy.
Igor Tudor is still propping up the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on an interim basis, having been handed the reins after Thomas Frank was shown the door in February following just eight months in the job.
The numbers under Frank were grim — a win rate barely scraping past a quarter of his games — but Tudor has done nothing to inspire confidence since taking over.
The club that won the Europa League less than a year ago under Ange Postecoglou are now fighting to stay in the top flight. It is one of the most extraordinary collapses English football has seen in recent memory.
Off the pitch, the chaos is equally striking.
Fabio Paratici departed in February after returning from his lengthy FIFA ban only to leave for Fiorentina three months later, taking a pointed dig at Spurs on his way out. The club are without a permanent co-sporting director, without a permanent manager, and without any clear identity.
Reports suggest Tottenham are stepping up their pursuit of a new director and have identified Dougie Freedman as one of many options, but their managerial situation could take more time to resolve.
Mauricio Pochettino remains the number one target, and the returning hero narrative would certainly land well with supporters who have never stopped adoring him, with the Argentine said to be keen on the idea.
Andoni Iraola, widely admired for his work at Bournemouth, had been mentioned as a candidate, but there are growing signs that Iraola may actually sign a new contract at the Vitality Stadium and continue building what he has started on the south coast.
Roberto De Zerbi is among the main contenders to take over at Spurs, as per Fabrizio Romano, while some media sources even moot the possibility of a move for Arsenal legend Cesc Fàbregas.
Borussia Dortmund desperate to stop Niko Kovač from joining Tottenham
Which brings us to Niko Kovač.
Tottenham have already made contact with the 54-year-old Borussia Dortmund boss as they cast their net wide across Europe, as per reports from Germany.
The Croatian has made no secret of his desire to manage in the Premier League, and with his Dortmund contract entering its final year in the summer, the timing looks interesting on paper.
However, there is a significant obstacle.
According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Dortmund have no intention of making things easy.
Despite the pressure Kovac has faced from supporters following their Champions League elimination at the hands of Atalanta — a result that triggered what German outlet Bild describes as a serious financial fallout worth nearly £10million — the club hierarchy retains strong faith in their manager.
Indeed, it is believed Dortmund are prepared to do everything in their power to keep him.
That puts Spurs in a difficult position, with Dortmund desperate not to let the title-winning former Bayern Munich boss make a move to N17.
They want Kovac, Dortmund are determined not to let him go, and their first-choice target in Pochettino is far from a done deal. Another summer of uncertainty beckons.