Despite being on Tottenham Hotspur's shortlist to replace Igor Tudor, one coach has made the decision that he won't be their manager for the rest of the season for a clear reason, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.
Spurs and Tudor parted ways by mutual consent on Sunday following a disastrous 44-day spell in charge, with Tottenham picking up just one point from 15 available in the Premier League and being knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid.
The death of Tudor's father delayed the final decision, with the north Londoners now looking for the manager that can save them from slipping into the Championship.
Tottenham's next Premier League match is against Sunderland on April 12, with Spurs chiefs looking to have their new man in place to work with the players when they return from international duty next week.
Roberto De Zerbi is one of the early favourites for the role, if they can persuade him to join now, while Adi Hutter was another name heavily linked with the job in recent weeks - but the Austrian won't be taking over.
Adi Hutter Rejects Tottenham
Hutter has been out of work since being sacked by Monaco in October, but he won't be making his return to management at Tottenham, unless it is in the summer as he continues his break from coaching.
The Austrian 'super coach' has decided that he doesn't want to be part of an in-season appointment, according to Galetti, posting on X on Monday morning, and would rather wait until the end of the campaign when he would be starting with a clean slate and a pre-season.
Hutter remains an option for Tottenham in the summer, but the north Londoners do have other preferred options.
Tottenham Trying to Appoint De Zerbi Now
While Hutter has turned down the opportunity to manage Tottenham for their final seven Premier League matches, Spurs are working on changing De Zerbi's stance on doing the same.
The Italian has been strong in his feelings of only taking on his next job in the summer, like Hutter, but Tottenham are in talks to make the former Brighton boss change his mind and accept the role now instead.
Spurs see De Zerbi as their top candidate now and in the summer, even over Mauricio Pochettino, and they have offered him a five-year contract which will make him one of the best-paid managers in the Premier League to join now.
How Would Tottenham Line Up Under Hutter Next Season?
To supplement our own knowledge, we leveraged AI-assisted analysis to deep-dive into how Tottenham could line up under Hutter next season.
'Under Adi Hutter, Spurs would likely shift to an aggressive, vertical system—most commonly a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1, built on high pressing and central overloads.
Most likely XI (3-4-2-1):
Vicario; Romero, Danso, Van de Ven; Porro, Gray, Bergvall, Udogie; Simons, Kudus; Solanke.
Key ideas:
Wing-backs (Porro/Udogie) provide width and crossing
Two advanced “10s” (e.g. Simons + Kudus) overload central zones
Double pivot (Gray/Bergvall-type) offers energy + pressing
Intense high press and quick transitions
He could also switch to a 4-2-3-1, moving Kudus wide and adding a winger like Tel or Richarlison up top.