The uncertainty over Thomas Frank's future as Tottenham Hotspur manager that lingered at the end of last year has only deepened at the start of 2026.
It all comes after a promising start to the season in which the future looked bright for Spurs after appointing the former Brentford boss to replace Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked following Tottenham's Europa League triumph in the wake of a dismal 2024/25 Premier League campaign. Frank was brought in as a calming influence for a team that wasn't living up to its potential.
But, in recent weeks, Frank's squad has resembled the one that finished in 17th place last season, as defensive issues and errors have proved costly since the team's downward spiral began in late November.
Tottenham's downfall has triggered suggestions that Frank's time at the club could end soon. Frank only has eight wins in 31 games in charge, while the club sits in 14th place through 21 games in the Premier League.
With Spurs showing little signs of life, GIVEMESPORT breaks down the candidates most likely to succeed Frank in North London.
There's no shortage of high-profile candidates being linked with joining Tottenham in the event that club officials pull the trigger and sack Frank.
Zinedine Zidane is one of the more intriguing and attractive names. But a flutter on the four-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid could be a waste given that bookies have only given Zidane 33/1 odds of being appointed.
The Frenchman's old La Liga rival and Atlético Madrid boss Diego Simeone, as well as England coach Gareth Southgate, Frank Lampard, David Moyes, and a host of other familiar names have the same odds as Zidane.
Bournemouth gaffer Andoni Iraola and Brendan Rodgers could be interesting bets at 25/1 odds, but it's hard to picture either one of them taking charge. Iraola is enjoying a solid season with the Cherries and Rodgers is fresh off a controversial departure from Celtic.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has 16/1 odds of being a shock appointment at Spurs, but the German previously indicated that he wouldn't coach another Premier League team again.
Mere days after getting sacked by Manchester United, Ruben Amorim could be in line for an instant return to the Premier League after being connected with replacing Frank. While it might be tempting for Amorim to return to Portugal, where he managed Sporting CP, the 40-year-old has unfinished business in England and could consider joining Spurs in an effort to repair his reputation. Manchester United are above Tottenham in the table, so a chance to leapfrog the team that fired him might be tempting for Amorim.
Crystal Palace gaffer Oliver Glasner has been one of the top candidates to replace Frank ever since doubts over the Danish coach's future began. Glasner is regarded as one of the Premier League's top tacticians after helping Crystal Palace find stability and securing the Eagles' first major trophy in last season's FA Cup final. Despite Palace's early exit in the FA Cup this season, Crystal Palace are understood to be eager to lock him up to a long-term contract. But Palace have lost momentum in the Premier League, so it's possible that Glasner is considering his options.
Xabi Alonso might not be out of a job for too long. The Spaniard is the bookies' favourite to join Tottenham after he was relieved of his duties as Real Madrid manager. Reports suggest that Tottenham officials opened talks with the coach shortly after his dismissal. Alonso rose to prominence as a coach during his spell at Bayer Leverkusen, in which the club ended Bayern Munich's dominance to win the Bundesliga title. However, his struggles in Spain this season were well documented, and the club's defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup was seemingly the last straw for Madrid officials.
This would be a bit out of left field, with the former Barcelona player and manager never having managed in the Premier League before, but he, unlike some of the other choices, is available right now and would not cost Spurs anything to bring in. He was successful at Al Sadd in Saudi Arabia before winning La Liga with Barcelona in 2022/23 and left the role in 2024.
Pochettino would be the romantics' choice. He has always spoken about having unfinished business at Spurs and that he would one day like to return. He is one of the favourites to take over from Frank at 4/1, but Tottenham would have to wait to bring him on board. Pochettino is a summer arrival given he has a job to do at the World CUp 2026 with the USA. His contract with the USMNT ends after that, so he would be free in the summer.
Out of nowhere, Tottenham legend Robbie Keane has emerged as the leading contender to take over from Franbk, should he be sacked. Keane has not managed in England either, but has had an incredible start to life as a manager in Europe. He led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli league title in 2023/24 and then the Hungarian title with Ferencvaros in 2024/25 where he is still the manager, having guided the club to the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League too. The returning legend would be a popular choice.