Tottenham are discussing a 'surprising' move to hire a former England manager to replace Thomas Frank, according to a fresh report.
Tottenham's list of managerial targets after sacking Frank
Spurs have kickstarted their search for Frank's permanent successor with seven interesting candidates already linked in the aftermath of the Dane's dismissal.
Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham spearheaded the brutal dismissal after holding crisis discussions with executive chairman Peter Charrington as Tottenham's first-half horror show unfolded against Newcastle on Tuesday (TEAMtalk).
The Lewis family rubber-stamped Frank's termination overnight, ending eight months of misery that delivered just 13 victories from 38 matches across all competitions.
According to reports, the Lilywhites had actually been making contingency plans since as far back as the turn of the year, so it is anyone's guess as to why it has taken this long for Frank to go.
Startling revelations are now coming out about how those within Spurs, including the players and staff, felt about the Dane during his dismal tenure in charge.
The Telegraph's Matt Law claims that some members of the squad were disillusioned by Frank's methodology and penchant to try and nullify the opposition as much as possible, as opposed to actually implementing a clear playing identity of their own.
Law also spoke of Frank's bizarre obsession with north London rivals Arsenal, with members of the squad and staff growing tired of his constant mentioning of the Gunners.
Of course, fans will think back to that infamous image of the ex-Brentford boss holding an Arsenal cup, which has since been meme'd to death on social media.
Frank will unfortunately go down as one of Tottenham's worst managers in recent memory, with a host of top bosses like Mauricio Pochettino, Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva, Roberto De Zerbi, Oliver Glasner, Julian Nagelsmann and even Thomas Tuchel all mentioned as candidates to take over.
Right now, Pochettino and De Zerbi appear the most mentioned for the now-vacant Tottenham post, but a shock candidate has since emerged.
Tottenham discuss 'surprising' move for Gareth Southgate
As per TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, Gareth Southgate has emerged as a 'surprising' contender following internal discussions amongst senior figures.
Some Spurs chiefs believe the former England manager's leadership qualities and player-management expertise could steady a fractious dressing room.
Whether Southgate harbors genuine interest remains uncertain, though his name continues to feature prominently in talks behind-the-scenes despite being the most left-field candidate on Tottenham's extensive shortlist.
However, the 55-year-old does have his credentials.
The ex-Middlesbrough boss guided England through their most successful period since 1966, leading the Three Lions to two European Championship finals and the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018.
While it is easy to label Southgate as a 'nearly man' who ultimately didn't take any silverware home, he was still the closest England boss to do so by a country mile in the last 60 years.
England were hopeless and disjointed before he replaced Sam Allardyce in 2016, and Southgate briefly restored genuine pride in the national team during his Wembley tenure.
It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that he could do the same at Tottenham, who are practically the 'England of the Premier League' right now.