Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Brentford boss Thomas Frank as the lead candidate to replace Ange Postecoglou, following their Friday announcement that the Europa League-winning Australian has been relieved of his duties.
Postecoglou sacked with Thomas Frank in pole position for Spurs job
Postecoglou broke the Spurs hoodoo and clinched their first piece of major silverware in 17 years, sealing Champions League qualification in the process by reigning victorious in the Europa League final against Man United just over a fortnight ago.
However, despite the raw emotion surrounding their triumphant night in Bilbao, not to mention their excellent footing to kickstart and build for next campaign, chairman Daniel Levy decided to hand Postecoglou his P45.
The club's official statement cited domestic form as the main culprit behind Postecoglou's dismissal, with the 59-year-old leading Spurs to an all-time record of 22 Premier League defeats in a single season.
However, regardless of their dismal Premier League performances, there is an argument to be made that winning their first European trophy since 1984 and sealing a place in Europe's most prestigious competition far outweighs their position in the table.
As debate continues to surround whether Levy has indeed made the right decision, news has emerged that Frank is a fierce contender for the now-vacant Tottenham job, with Fabrizio Romano stating that talks are expected to continue in the next few days.
Frank does have serious credentials for the job, namely his success operating on a shoe-string budget at Brentford and track record of nurturing unknowns into top-class talents.
The Dane has also worked under a data-driven recruitment model with the Bees, which is where Spurs have gone with their own transfer philosophy in recent seasons, so in that sense, Frank could be deemed an excellent fit.
However, there are reservations that his lack of trophy-winning experience makes him a less exciting candidate in the eyes of some supporters.
Tottenham have trophy-winning Thomas Frank alternative in Edin Terzić
Interestingly, a manager with that pedigree, and one who was eyeing a move to Tottenham this season, is readily-available for hire right now.
Ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzić guided the Bundesliga side to a Champions League final against Real Madrid last year, winning one German Cup and a German Super Cup during his time at BVB.
He is still yet to find a new club, and what makes this possibility more intriguing is Terzic's apparent eagerness to join the north Londoners. Besiktas president Serdal Adali, speaking to Tivibu Spor in December, via GOAL this week, stated that Terzic was actually waiting to join Tottenham at one point in 2024/2025.
"Edin Terzić was one of our foreign alternatives," said Adali. "In the meeting, he said he was expecting an agreement with Tottenham."
Still without a club, the German could be a more illustrious alternative to Frank with proven Champions League experience, and one which would require no release clause payments or compensation fees.