Robbie Keane has been linked with a return to Tottenham for the managerial vacancy after the sacking of Thomas Frank, along with former manager Mauricio Pochettino, but there are complications in hiring both.
Robbie Keane is unwilling to make a return to Tottenham as an interim manager, but is open to re-joining Spurs as a permanent candidate for the role in the dugout.
That's according to the Telegraph, which claims that the former striker isn't keen on giving up his post with Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros, unless it's for the job on a full-time basis. It rules Keane out of the running for the interim manager role, if it's the route that the club hierarchy decides to go down.
It's currently unclear which way Spurs will move, with an option to either name an interim with a view to buy time for a decision in the summer, or to make a move now. The first call could be the best long-term move, but it risks costing the club dearly, given their proximity to the relegation zone.
However, if the club make their move now, that will likely rule out a number of candidates that would be available in the coming months. That includes Mauricio Pochettino, who is set to take the US Men's National Team squad into a World Cup on home soil in the summer, with a possible exit coming after the tournament.
With Pochettino seemingly unlikely to give up that role after spending time preparing his team for the competition, there are clear problems in making the right decision for this season and beyond. With Keane out of the running for a short-term move, there is an opportunity for another candidate to take the interim role.
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That man is John Heitinga, who only recently joined Tottenham to become part of Thomas Frank's backroom team, before his eventual sacking. The former Premier League player has experience in management, having taken charge of Ajax earlier this season, though that didn't go to plan and he was eventually dismissed.
The lack of other options means that Spurs may have to consider Heitinga, though the report from the Telegraph claims that there is a preference towards an external candidate. Time is on the side of the decision-makers, at least for now, due to Tottenham's early exit from the FA Cup.
There are ten days between now and the next match, which is the North London Derby clash against Arsenal next weekend. That should give those at the top time to find the route they want to go down, whether that is appointing an interim manager or a permanent option.
Keane was asked recently about his links to the Tottenham job, where he was short and sweet about the possibility of returning to the club he played the most games for in his career. A reporter asked: "Would you expect their invitation for you to become their manager?"
Keane responded: "I can't help speculation," while shrugging his shoulders before walking away from the interview. That hardly ruled him out of contention, but his stance appears to be that a return is possible, but only if it is a permanent hiring rather than a temporary appointment.
Daniel Levy's exit in the summer ended a reign of nearly 25 years as chairman, which was always going to bring about a transition period. On top of that there has been restructuring behind the scenes, with the addition of Vinai Venkatesham as CEO in the past 12 months, as well as the return and second exit of Fabio Paratici.
It all points to a club in flux that needs to get its ducks in a row before pushing on to greater heights. There are some key decisions to be made in the coming days, with the threat of relegation very real this season compared to last.