Igor Tudor has reportedly signed a short-term contract with Tottenham following Thomas Frank’s sacking.
Tottenham dismissed head coach Frank on Thursday, leading to speculation that former Spurs boss Pochettino could make a dramatic return to the club.
However, it looks like former Juventus manager Tudor will take up the reins as he tries to stop the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outfit getting relegated from the Premier League.
Now, Fabrizio Romano has reported that Tudor will only sign a deal until the end of the season, with no option extend that.
While interim Manchester United boss Michael Carrick potentially has a shot at taking over at Old Trafford permanently at the end of the season, the same opportunity will seemingly not be extended to Tudor at Tottenham.
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Mauricio Pochettino among ‘top’ Tottenham candidates
In the past, Pochettino admitted Tottenham still holds a special place in his heart and he would be open to returning to his old stomping ground.
However, the Argentine is currently managing the United States men’s national team, with Pochettino set to lead his side to this summer’s World Cup.
The tournament will take place in North America from 9 June to 19 July, meaning Pochettino wouldn’t be able to link up with Tottenham until July at the earliest.
Despite that, Romano states that Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi, who resigned from his managerial role at Marseille on Wednesday, are among Tottenham’s “top candidates” to get the role full time in the summer.
If Tottenham did have to wait until July to appoint Pochettino, that would be far from ideal. Frank, for example, was hired in June 2025, allowing him more time to prep for the new season.
While it didn’t appear to do him much good, Pochettino could miss a chunk of Tottenham’s pre-season campaign, putting him at a disadvantage for the 2026-27 campaign.
Although many Tottenham fans may desire a fairytale return, there is no guarantee the former Chelsea boss will head back to the north London team this year.
Is Pochettino the right man to lead Tottenham forward?
Much of the clamour for a Pochettino return to Tottenham comes off the back of him leading them to the 2019 Champions League Final and regularly guiding them to a top-four finish.
But the players at his disposal back then, including Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, and Mousa Dembele, among others, are no longer around.
Tottenham currently sit 16th in the Premier League, just five points above the relegation zone. While they do have some top players, they need a huge upturn in fortunes to be in contention to start challenging for European places again.
If they just about stay up next season, Tottenham are very unlikely to be in Europe then, which may make it hard to attract top players.
Moreover, some of their coveted talents, such as Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, may seek to move on to further their careers.
Pochettino hasn’t set the world alight in his current post, and during his stints at Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, he was leading a side on the up and competing for trophies, respectively. Could he rejuvenate a side near the bottom three? Would he be given the time to do so?
Tottenham’s current situation shows how difficult a job Pochettino would have on his hands. Whether both parties reunite once again is up in the air.