Tottenham Hotspur have their eyes on two managers with their Igor Tudor exit plan 'already clear', according to GIVEMESPORT senior reporter Fabrizio Romano.
Following four straight losses in his opening four matches in charge after replacing Thomas Frank, Tudor was already on the verge of the sack at Tottenham ahead of their visit to Liverpool last weekend.
GIVEMESPORT sources revealed that the 47-year-old had already alienated 'several' Spurs players following a disastrous run of results that left them just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
They performed for their manager at Anfield as the north London outfit took a point back to the capital, before they beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in midweek.
That has given Tudor some breathing space ahead of the crucial league clash at home to Nottingham Forest, who are one point behind them in the table, on Sunday.
A loss against Forest would likely see Tudor's position come under serious threat, with that result having the potential to leave them in the bottom three.
Tottenham's Igor Tudor Plan 'Already Clear'
According to Romano, speaking on the latest episode of GIVEMESPORT's Market Madness podcast on Thursday afternoon, Tottenham have already decided that Tudor will be leaving the club.
Whether that is in the summer or sooner may be dictated by what happens on the pitch but regardless, the Croat will not be Spurs manager next season.
Tottenham senior officials already have their eyes on two managers to replace Tudor, but both of them are appointments that would be more likely in the summer than now - Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi.
Spurs wanted De Zerbi now but he wanted to take his next job in the summer, while Pochettino is managing the USA at their home World Cup this summer.
Explaining the latest on the situation on Market Madness, Romano said:
"He's not going to be there [next season]. I think in any case, it's already clear, and it was communicated to Tudor at the beginning of this new chapter.
"Then in terms of permanent manager, I maintain two names they really appreciate. One is Roberto De Zerbi. They already wanted De Zerbi to be their permanent manager now for the final months of the season, but he doesn't want to take the job now, as he just left Olympique Marseille, and he wants to prepare his next move in the summer.
"The other name is obviously Mauricio Pochettino, but obviously he's now busy with the USA men's national team. So let's see what's going to happen from now to the World Cup. These two names are, for sure, very high on Tottenham's shortlist, but it's going to be a process.
"Obviously, to stay in the Premier League is going to be crucial in order to attract important managers."
Who Could Tottenham Target if They Want to Make Change Now?
Spurs won't have an abundance of options and managers willing to take the job on a short-term basis at this late stage of the season.
One option available to them is Ryan Mason, who is currently unemployed having left West Bromwich Albion earlier in the season, and has done the job in a similar role twice before.
The likes of Harry Redknapp and Tim Sherwood have also thrown their names forward but have been out of the management game for a long time.
Robbie Keane is another option who features on Tottenham's shortlist, as revealed by GMS sources, but it would depend on him green-lighting a contract until the end of the season, which is Spurs' preference.