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Fabrizio Romano insists former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is the “main candidate” to replace Pep Guardiola at Man City and that there is “nothing advanced” with Tottenham.

Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday was the final straw for the Tottenham hierarchy as they sacked Thomas Frank on Wednesday.

The loss to the Magpies saw Tottenham extend their winless streak in the Premier League to eight matches with just one win their last 11 matches.

Widespread reports on Friday indicated that former Juventus manager Igor Tudor has been given the interim head coach position at Tottenham and Romano reiterated overnight that the Croatian will be joining the Premier League club.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Tottenham have decided to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, and that manager is Igor Tudor.

“Tudor has signed a five-month contract with no option to extend. The agreement is strictly until the end of the campaign.

READ: How Tudor appointment at Tottenham could work but Spurs stars warned ‘Messi would not play’

“He understands the situation clearly. Tottenham want a short-term solution before making a permanent appointment in the summer.”

There have been numerous managers linked in recent days with the permanent position, which Tottenham will wait until the summer to fill.

And Romano insists that Tottenham have narrowed their search down to USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino and former Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

Romano added: “For the long term, the two main names on Tottenham’s shortlist remain Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi.

“Pochettino is fully focused on the US national team and the upcoming World Cup, making any immediate move impossible.

“De Zerbi is aware of Tottenham’s interest, but he is assessing the broader European market and will carefully evaluate all projects before making a decision.

“From now until the end of the season, conversations will continue, but Tudor is only an interim solution.”

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Maresca was sacked earlier this season at Chelsea, who were performing below expectations, and replaced by Liam Rosenior after the Italian suffered a complete relationship breakdown with the club’s board.

The former Leicester City boss has been linked with the Tottenham job but Romano insists he will be in the running to become the Man City head coach in the summer, if Pep Guardiola leaves.

Romano continued: “There have been reports linking Enzo Maresca with Tottenham, but my understanding is different.

“Maresca remains the main candidate for Manchester City in the event that Pep Guardiola decides to leave.

“Pep is under contract until 2027, and nothing has been decided, but City are preparing for the future.

“At this stage, there is nothing advanced between Maresca and Tottenham.”

Tottenham turned down approaches for Lucas Bergvall in the January transfer window, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Spurs were one of the most active teams in the Premier League in the January transfer window with Conor Gallagher and Souza arriving in north London, while Brennan Johnson departed in a big deal to Crystal Palace.

There could have been more outgoings too in the winter with Ornstein now revealing that Sweden international Bergvall was the subject of interest from two Premier League clubs.

Ornstein wrote in The Athletic on Saturday that Tottenham ‘could face a battle to keep hold’ of Bergvall after ‘being forced to rebuff enquiries from rival teams in the winter transfer market’.

After going from Player of the Year under Ange Postecoglou last season, the 20-year-old has been used less under Thomas Frank, who was sacked on Wednesday and both Chelsea and Aston Villa had enquiries ‘rebuffed’ by Tottenham.

Ornstein adds in his report: ‘Both sides made direct contact with Spurs to establish whether a potential opportunity existed, but it was made clear they currently do not intend to consider his departure and the matter advanced no further.

READ: How Tudor appointment at Tottenham could work but Spurs stars warned ‘Messi would not play’

‘Villa’s check call followed Spurs pipping them to the signing of Conor Gallagher and Chelsea’s came around the time they were also evaluating a deal for Douglas Luiz, who ultimately joined Villa.’

Bergvall, who helped Tottenham win the Europa League last season, was once named by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as he hailed the young Swede as “unstoppable”.

Guardiola said: “The pace of this team? Pfft, it is difficult. Maybe Liverpool [are better], but Bergvall, every time he has the ball and run, unstoppable. Spence and Pedro Porro, Udogie, [Dejan] Kulusevski, Son [Heung-min], an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play.

“They play really good and they play without [Cristian] Romero and [Micky] Van de Ven, two of maybe the best central defenders in the league. The game, it was open second half because we didn’t close the first.”

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It remains to be seen how much playing time Bergvall gets under incoming interim head coach Igor Tudor with the Croatian reportedly agreeing to take over until the end of the season.

And Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has explained why he “fits the bill” in terms of what Tottenham are looking for in terms of an interim head coach.

Bridge said: “Spurs have been looking for an experienced head coach with a track record of going into clubs and making an immediate impact, and they see Tudor as someone who perfectly fits that bill.

“He was appointed at Juventus and Lazio in March in the last two seasons. He stabilised results in the short term. He guided Juve to fourth in Serie A to achieve Champions League qualification that earned him a two-year contract, but he was sacked just four months later after results deteriorated.

“He’s got this role based on what he’s done on a short-term basis at Lazio and Juve, and I can’t stress enough the importance of short term because it’s a huge few months ahead for Tottenham.

“On Pochettino, whether it happens in the summer, we don’t know yet. He’s got admirers at the club. He loves the club. The fans love him. We’ll wait and see if it happens in the summer.”

An Italian football expert has revealed some of the qualities that incoming Tottenham interim manager Igor Tudor could bring to Spurs.

Tottenham are yet to confirm his appointment but widespread reports have claimed that former Juventus head coach Tudor will take the job at Spurs until the end of the season.

Italian journalist Matteo Moretto was the first to report Tottenham talks with Tudor before his compatriot Gianluca Di Marzio was one of the first to claim that there is a ‘verbal ageement’ in place to take over.

The Athletic‘s David Ornstein and transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano later confirmed that Tudor is set to take on the role of interim head coach.

And Italian football commentator Patrick Kendrick has revealed what Tottenham fans can expect from the former Croatia international.

Kendrick told Sky Sports: “If you look back over Tudor’s recent career, he’s been quite happy stepping into these short-term roles. I think he sees himself as a bit of a firefighter.

READ: Tudor to Spurs a ‘huge gamble’ due to three concerns; Romano names two ‘main’ permanent targets

“His typical formation is a 3-4-2-1. He doesn’t tend to play with too much width to begin with. It’s a very similar formation to what Ivan Juric used to have, the former Southampton manager.

“It was very successful with Verona, which was probably where he’s been the biggest success. He had a free-scoring team with two number 10s playing behind a lone striker, but the back three is pretty in vogue in Italy, and it’s looked at as a way of making sure you’re solid first and foremost.”

Tudor, who won a number of trophies with Juventus as a player, has only won the Croatian Cup with Hajduk Split as a manager and Kendrick expects the former centre-back will attempt to increase morale as his first objective.

Kendrick added: “His English is very good, it’s vastly superior to Antonio Conte, so I don’t think there’s going to be any issue with that.

“He’s got a lot of belief in his ability. He’s a very forthright character. He tends to speak his mind.

“Rather than looking at any sort of tactical revolution, I think he’s first and foremost going to be focusing on trying to get the players’ morale up.”

READ: How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue jobs have gone so far: from Adebayor hat-tricks to winning an actual trophy

Tudor did quite well in France with Marseille, finishing third in his only season in 2022/23 behind Paris Saint-Germain and Lens, with hard work a big part of his philosophy.

When asked about Tudor, Marseille-based football journalist George Boxall told BBC Sport: “His style is intense.

“The players do a hell of a lot of running. There’s lots of intensity, lots of pressing.

“He is a really strong personality and he could be a good appointment for Tottenham if they feel they need an electroshock.”

L’Equipe journalist Pierre-Etienne Minonzio added: “He asks his players to run a lot. In a previous interview he said ‘If you don’t run, you don’t play.

“In his one season in Marseille it was always the same way of playing – 3-5-2 – and it was great to watch.

“It was not easy because Marseille’s best player was Dimitri Payet, a very gifted player but not well-known for running, and he didn’t play.

“It was a joke in L’Equipe – if Igor Tudor had Lionel Messi in his squad, Messi would not play!”

Minonzio continued: “He did pretty well in Ligue 1. What I liked is that he doesn’t try to be liked. He is very direct, says what he thinks and doesn’t try to be attractive. There is no seduction.

“It is the same with the players. He keeps his distance and his obsession is to make training intense with a lot of running so they can be physically fit for the game.”

According to reports, former colleagues of Igor Tudor are ‘surprised’ that Tottenham Hotspur have appointed him to replace Thomas Frank.

Spurs have been searching for a manager to replace Frank since they parted company with their former boss on Wednesday morning.

Frank‘s exit followed Tottenham’s disappointing 2-1 home loss against Newcastle United, which leaves them only five points clear of the relegation zone.

The north London side have sleepwalked into a relegation battle and had to change something to prevent their desperate situation from getting worse in the coming weeks.

They have been linked with several potential replacements in recent days, with it clear that they were opting for an interim replacement to try to secure survival before they opt for a long-term solution in the summer.

And they have settled on Tudor to replace Frank, with it reported on Friday afternoon that an ‘agreement’ has been reached between the club and the head coach.

READ: How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue jobs have gone so far: from Adebayor hat-tricks to winning an actual trophy

Journalist Matteo Moretto was the first to report that there is an ‘agreement’ between Tudor and Spurs, with this subsequently confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.

Romano said on X: ‘BREAKING: Igor Tudor becomes new Tottenham interim coach until June 2026, as revealed earlier.

‘He’s accepted the job and ready to stay until end of the season. #THFC

‘Main candidates for permanent job in June: Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino.’

Remarkably, Spurs is Tudor’s 12th managerial job since first stepping into the role with Hajduk Split in 2013.

In March 2025, the 47-year-old replaced Thiago Motta at Juventus and earned a long-term contract after guiding them to a fourth-place finish in Serie A. However, he was sacked in November following an eight-game winless run.

And a report from The Telegraph‘s Matt Law has revealed that his move to Spurs has ‘surprised’ those who have previously worked with him who are ‘familiar with his work and style’.

They are said to have deemed this appointment a ‘huge gamble’ as Spurs have ‘rolled the dice’ as Tudor rarely lasts long at clubs, has ‘no Premier League experience’ and is ‘too loud/emotional’.

Despite this, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has explained why Tudor ‘fits the bill for what Spurs are looking for’.

He explained: “Spurs have been looking for an experienced head coach with a track record of going into clubs and making an immediate impact, and they see Tudor as someone who perfectly fits that bill.

“He was appointed at Juventus and Lazio in March in the last two seasons. He stabilised results in the short term. He guided Juve to fourth in Serie A to achieve Champions League qualification that earned him a two-year contract, but he was sacked just four months later after results deteriorated.

“He’s got this role based on what he’s done on a short-term basis at Lazio and Juve, and I can’t stress enough the importance of short term because it’s a huge few months ahead for Tottenham.

“On Pochettino, whether it happens in the summer, we don’t know yet. He’s got admirers at the club. He loves the club. The fans love him. We’ll wait and see if it happens in the summer.”

Spurs have taken a remarkable risk in appointing Igor Tudor, but his sustained record of rescuing clubs mid-season does show method in the apparent madness.

Quite fittingly for a club that has lost its entire head, Spurs have appointed a Tudor.

The Croatian has been picked as the man to take over from Thomas Frank before a more permanent arrangement is made in the summer – when Mauricio Pochettino should become available.

It is sensational work for Spurs to ignore the recommendation of Fabio Paratici for Tudor to replace Frank, then listen only when Paratici has left.

But expecting joined-up, coherent, strategic thinking from Spurs at any point in their history, never mind these halcyon days of 2026, is not in itself the most sensible thing to do.

Have they, however, actually stumbled upon a decent decision? When one of the leading alternatives pushed to the foreground is Tim Sherwood: yes.

And Tudor does have a decent track record of being parachuted into clubs during seasons and doing well.

It remains to be seen whether that qualifies him as the best candidate to be thrown headfirst into a circus with his first game being a derby against perhaps the best club in the country, needing to turn around a team five points from a potentially ruinous relegation with 12 league games left. But he has done well in similar circumstances before…

Hajduk Split – appointed April 29, 2013

P6 W2 D2 L2 F8 A9

Hajduk “found ourselves in a position where qualifying for Europe is in jeopardy,” as president Marin Babic said when sacking coach Miso Krsticevic, sporting director Sergije Kresic and consultant Fredi Fiorentini just one day after a defeat at home to Rijeka.

Croatia assistant Tudor was drafted in and secured European qualification on goal difference despite overseeing a single victory in four league games.

His biggest impact was evident in the Croatian Cup, which he delivered with a pulsating 5-4 aggregate win over Lokomotiva.

That should be easy enough to replicate in the Champions League.

Galatasaray – appointed February 15, 2017

P14 W8 D1 L5 F26 A20

There were no such distractions in Tudor’s next post; Galatasaray had already been eliminated from the Turkish Cup by the time he arrived, with their European ban for financial irregularities also upheld that season.

Jan Olde Riekerink was shown the door with Gala third in the Super Lig, five points behind leaders Besiktas.

It was a gap Tudor could not close. Galatasaray even slipped to fourth, ultimately holding onto a European qualification spot but suffering a particularly bruising 4-0 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in April.

Spurs legend Emmanuel Adebayor scored a hat-trick. It was a different time.

Then Tudor started the next season being beaten by Graham Potter’s Ostersund in Europa League qualifying. Oh mate.

Udinese – appointed April 24, 2018

P4 W2 D1 L1 F5 A7

“There is important work to be done, so we can end this season the way the club deserves, then we can resume with new energy,” Tudor said when making his long-awaited return to Serie A, this time as a manager.

Udinese had already dispensed with Luigi Delneri and Massimo Oddo by the time Tudor came in on the back of an 11-game losing run in the league.

He did stem that tide with a 3-3 draw with Benevento, before Inter thrashed Tudor’s side 4-0.

But the season ended with wins over Verona and Bologna to pull Udinese clear of any relegation worries; had they lost those two games they would have gone down by a point.

Tudor and Udinese could not come to an agreement to extend the union beyond the end of the campaign, however, so he upped and left…

Udinese – appointed March 20, 2019

P11 W5 D3 L3 F15 A13

…only to return within the year to save them again.

His summer replacement, Julio Velazquez, only made it to November, while Davide Nicola lasted a handful of months himself. So for the second consecutive season, Tudor embraced the role of Udinese’s third manager in one campaign.

This task seemed tougher: they were 16th, one point above the relegation zone after winning just three of their last 14 Serie A games.

But Tudor again turned things around, engineering wins in six-pointers against Genoa, Empoli, Frosinone, SPAL and Cagliari – while this time holding Inter to a goalless draw at home – to secure mid-table safety.

Who patrolled Tudor’s Udinese midfield at the time? Another Spurs icon in Sandro. It’s meant to be.

Hajduk Split – appointed January 2, 2020

P17 W8 D1 L8 F30 A24

Tudor does not subscribe to the notion that you should never go back, doing the Splits twice for his hometown club.

It did not go especially well the second time around. There was certainly no trophy, with everything other than their league endeavours taken off the table long before Tudor came in.

But with him in charge Hajduk slipped from a distant second to an almost disastrous fifth, losing as often as they won in one of his few true interim failures.

Lazio – appointed March 18, 2024

P11 W6 D3 L2 F15 A9

After the second-longest reign of his entire managerial career – 48 games – was ended by Marseille, Tudor spent close to a year out of work until he landed at Lazio.

He replaced Maurizio Sarri on an 18-month contract, guided them from ninth upon his appointment to European qualification by winning more than half his games, beat Juventus twice and was only narrowly knocked out of the Coppa Italia at the semi-final stage.

Then he quit less than three months into his stay, reportedly due to ‘tiredness’ with the club. He might not last the week at Spurs.

Juventus – appointed March 23, 2025

P9 W5 D1 L3 F13 A7

Tudor again spent about a year in the shadows, aware that he just needed to wait for Juventus to sack enough managers so that he’d finally get his Knows The Club-based turn.

That finally came to pass last season, when Thiago Motta was terminated for elimination from every competition while only having The Old Lady in fifth, a point off Champions League qualification.

Tudor could dedicate the entirety of his focus to that cause and ultimately benefited for it, comfortably dragging Juventus over the line in the end.

It went hilariously wrong beyond that initial remit, with Tudor sacked by October for a run of eight winless games. But Spurs will concern themselves with what comes after this season when they know whether to prepare for the Premier League or the Championship.

Tudor has engendered enough new manager bounces to suggest they should just about be alright.

Tottenham have scoured the interim manager market and landed on someone with no Premier League experience whatsoever in Igor Tudor, who was sacked by Juventus in October after leading them on eight-game winless run. This could be really grim/very funny.

Spurs sacked Thomas Frank on Wednesday after their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on Tuesday evening left them just five points clear of the relegation zone after failing to win any of their last eight Premier League games, losing four of them.

Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino are thought to be Tottenham’s preferred permanent successors to Frank, but the former has decided to take a break from football after what looked like an exhausting end to his time at Marseille (as all endings appear to be for the eccentric Italian), while Pochettino will lead USMNT at the World Cup.

John Heitinga was in the frame to be promoted from assistant to caretaker boss, but Spurs have instead opted for Tudor in a bolt from the blue which has many of the necessary markers of disaster.

The 47-year-old has had a varied managerial career, including stints at Marseille, Galatasaray and several Serie A clubs among others, and Spurs will have been attracted to his reputation as a ‘fixer’, coming into clubs during the season and turning things around, having done that at Udinese (twice), Hellas Verona and Lazio.

But the eagle-eyed among you will notice a trend in those clubs, all in Serie A, and Tudor not only has no Premier League experience but has only ever managed two games against Premier League opposition – Tottenham ironically; both defeats while in charge of Marseille in 2022.

He’s known for intense, high-pressing, direct football, which may suit Spurs owing to their lack of ball-playing midfielders, and something of a no-nonsense attitude, both with players and club chiefs. He left both Marseille and Lazio after falling out with the hierarchy.

He absolutely could be the kick up the arse a floundering football club that’s completely lost its way needs, but the way things unravelled at Juventus in his most recent role should be a huge concern.

“Am I someone who resolves problems? I consider myself a coach,” Tudor said when announced as Juventus’ new manager just under a year ago. Probably an entertainer third.

“I started coaching young and I’ve been doing it for 10-15 years, I have gone around a lot, I can also be a bit particular because I make choices with my heart.”

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As will be the task at Spurs, he was charged with stabilising the Old Lady, and managed to lead them into the Champions League, and the same uptick in passion and tactical stability showed by the Serie A side in that last part of the season will see Tottenham cruise away from the relegation zone in what remains of the current campaign.

But the attack dried up after he was handed a long-term deal in the summer of 2025. The creativity was lacking and there was no clear evidence of tactical instruction in the final third. Sound familiar?

Another very Spurs(y) quirk to Tudor’s appointment is Fabio Paratici calling for him to replace Frank last month, Frank then outlasting Paratici – who left, sick of being ignored – before Frank was sacked and now Tudor hired. It’s exactly the sort of joined-up thinking we’ve come to expect from the Spurs powers that be and we’re thoroughly looking forward to Paratici’s return for a third spell.

It’s the sort of appointment that, if it comes off, will be hailed as a stroke of genius. But that’s also an appointment that indicates a not insignificant amount of risk. What if the ‘fixer’ can only fix Serie A clubs? What if the good, passionate bit comes to nothing and Spurs are left with a spiky operator who hates everything about the football club (Spurs have seen that before)?

Frank had to go, but Spurs fans will have hoped for his replacement to failsafe them against relegation. What’s actually happened is the board have thrown the dice. Again, this could be really grim/very funny.

Tottenham have struck a ‘verbal agreement’ for former Juventus head coach Igor Tudor to become their new manager, according to reports.

Spurs made decision to part company with Thomas Frank on Wednesday after their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening.

It was their eighth match in the Premier League without a victory and 16th-placed Tottenham could be in relegation trouble unless they start winning soon.

There have been rumours about potential interim managers and permanent head coaches but former CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Tottenham have made their decision to go with a caretaker until the end of the season.

Jacobs wrote on X: ‘Spurs have decided to appoint an interim manager before proceeding with a permanent coach this summer.’

The transfer journalist later added that Tudor had been approached by Tottenham over the head coach role until the end of the season.

READ: Tottenham next manager: Shock new favourite emerges as De Zerbi hopes fade

Jacobs wrote: ‘Spurs have approached Igor Tudor to potentially take over until the end of the season, as @MatteMoretto first called. Spurs will put an interim in place ahead of making an appointment this summer.’

It came after Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio had claimed that Tottenham have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ on a deal until June.

Di Marzio wrote on X: ‘Verbal agreement reached between Tudor and Tottenham. The Croatian coach has accepted Spurs for a contract until June. Only the signature is missing.’

On his website, Di Marzio added more detail: ‘Tottenham are considering Igor Tudor as their new manager: the situation at the English club

‘Tottenham continue the casting process for their new manager and confirmation has arrived of Matteo Moretto’s morning rumours regarding Igor Tudor ‘s name as Frank ‘s successor.

‘A meeting was held this morning, and a contract offer lasting until June was made. Tudor, along with his agent Seric, is evaluating whether or not to accept. The consensus is that the offer is likely to be yes, despite the short-term nature of the contract. A final decision is expected in the next few hours.’

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Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou claimed on Thursday that Spurs are “not a big club” and that the whole club is “really curious”.

Postecoglou said on The Overlap: “You know, when you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is ‘To dare is to do’. It’s everywhere. And yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that. It’s really curious in terms of understanding what they’re trying to build. What are they?

“There’s obviously been huge investment – they’ve built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities. But when you look at the expenditure, particularly the wage structure, they’re not a big club. I saw that first-hand because when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.

“They’re not a big club in terms of the wages they pay. The transfer fees might not be the biggest in the league, but they’re always there or thereabouts. However, there’s a cap on wages that won’t be broken.”

Tottenham have made ex-RB Leipzig head coach Marco Rose a contender to succeed Thomas Frank as they make a decision on an interim boss, according to reports.

The north Londoners took the decision on Wednesday to sack Frank after Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Monday.

That defeat took their run of games without a win to eight in the Premier League with 16th-placed Tottenham in danger of getting sucked into a relegation battle unless they start winning soon.

There have been rumours about potential interim managers and permanent head coaches but former CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Tottenham have made their decision to go with a caretaker until the end of the season.

Jacobs wrote on X: ‘Spurs have decided to appoint an interim manager before proceeding with a permanent coach this summer.’

One manager Tottenham are now considering as their next boss is former Borussia Dortmund and Leipzig boss Rose, who played under ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as a Mainz player.

READ: Tottenham next manager: Shock new favourite emerges as De Zerbi hopes fade

TalkSPORT claim that Rose is a ‘shock new contender’ to replace Frank at Tottenham as Spurs consider number of options to take over as head coach.

Netherlands international Xavi Simons – who discovered some of his best form under the German coach – ‘could now be reunited with Rose at Spurs, with the club on the lookout for a new manager following Thomas Frank’s sacking.’

Speaking about how Liverpool legend Klopp shaped his career in football, Rose said: “I spent a lot of years under ‘Kloppo’, and it was a great time.

“He shaped all of us. We picked up a few things in terms of football, but above all, it was the way he was with people [that was influential].

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“Maybe there are a few coaching parallels with me and Jurgen, but I’ve also found my own style.”

Rose also told the Bundesliga’s official website about his playing style and philosophy with Tottenham getting a glimpse of what they can expect from one option to replace Frank.

He said: “We want to be very active working against the ball when we lose possession, lots of sprinting.

“We want to win the ball high up the pitch and have a short path to goal.

“And when we have the ball ourselves, we want to play well; we don’t want to punt high balls up the pitch, but be quick and dynamic getting forward.”

Porto head coach Francesco Farioli has no intention of leaving the Portuguese club for Tottenham before the end of the season, according to reports.

Spurs made the decision to part company with Frank on Wednesday morning after losing 2-1 at home to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Jacob Ramsey’s winning goal for the Magpies saw Tottenham continue their run of eight matches without a win in the Premier League with Spurs now 16th in the table,

It is currently unclear what path Tottenham will go down in terms of their next manager with interim and permanent options both currently on the table.

One manager who won’t be taking over, at least for the time being, is Porto head coach Farioli as Portuguese outlet Jornal de Noticias ‘understands that the Italian coach is not interested in leaving FC Porto mid-season, because he intends to see through to the end the work he started in the summer, when he was chosen by Andre Villas-Boas to replace Martin Anselmi.’

Former Nice and Ajax head coach Farioli only joined Porto in July and is now ‘part of a shortlist of candidates to fill the vacancy left by Thomas Frank’ at Tottenham.

READ: Tottenham next manager: Shock new favourite emerges as De Zerbi hopes fade

The report continues: ‘Not long ago, Francesco Farioli experienced a similar situation when he was in Chelsea’s plans, and there too he made a commitment that he was firmly committed to Porto and to the president’s project until the end.’

One manager who is ‘open’ to leaving their current club for north London is Ferencvaros manager Robbie Keane, according to The Sun, with the former Spurs striker ‘ready to come to Tottenham’s rescue’.

However, ‘it is unclear if Keane would be prepared to leave Hungary for a caretaker position’ as Tottenham could potentially appoint an interim.

Ange Postecoglou insisted on The Overlap on Thursday that Tottenham are “not a big club” and described the north London outfit as “curious”.

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After that interview, former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham insists Spurs should “never have sacked” the Australian and was a “big advocate” of the former Celtic manager.

Sheringham told MrQ: “I was a big advocate of Ange. Spurs should never have sacked him. He didn’t care where they ended up in the Premier League as long as he won something for the football club, and he did that. He told them what he was going to do, and he did it.”

When asked whether he would take Postecoglou back at Tottenham, Sheringham added: “I don’t think you can take him back now. I mean, there was such a funny vibe at the club when he went. I think that would be wrong to do that now.”

On who the next Tottenham head coach should be, he continued: “I’d like to see Xabi Alonso. I don’t know what went wrong for him at Real Madrid, but he’s an outstanding football man, and he’s had a good win ratio in his career.”

Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest on reports linking Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi with the Tottenham job after Thomas Frank was sacked.

Spurs made decision to part company with Frank on Wednesday after their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening.

It was their eighth match in the Premier League without a victory and 16th-placed Tottenham could be in relegation trouble unless they start winning soon.

However, it is still unclear how Tottenham will proceed in appointing their next manager with interim options on the table, as well as permanent ones.

Former Brighton boss De Zerbi, who recently lost his job at Marseille, and ex-Tottenham head coach Pochettino are two of the front-runners with the bookmakers – but the those two potential appointments seem to be more likely in the summer.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “The Tottenham job is now available following the dismissal of Thomas Frank, and there are two key names to clarify.

READ: Tottenham next manager: Shock new favourite emerges as De Zerbi hopes fade

“Roberto De Zerbi is highly appreciated internally and would be open to returning to Premier League football.

“However, De Zerbi is not a coach who rushes into decisions. He wants clarity on the project, long-term vision and structure before accepting any role.

“Tottenham’s interest is confirmed, but De Zerbi is assessing the wider market as more positions could open up across Europe between now and the summer.

“Regarding Mauricio Pochettino, the current position is complicated because the US Federation do not want to lose him only months before the World Cup.

“A summer appointment could only become realistic depending on Tottenham’s strategy, especially if they choose an interim solution until after the tournament.”

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Ange Postecoglou was the Tottenham head coach last season before Frank took over in the summer and the Australian claims Spurs are “not a big club”.

Postecoglou said on The Overlap: “You know, when you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is ‘To dare is to do’. It’s everywhere. And yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that. It’s really curious in terms of understanding what they’re trying to build. What are they?

“There’s obviously been huge investment – they’ve built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities. But when you look at the expenditure, particularly the wage structure, they’re not a big club. I saw that first-hand because when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.

“They’re not a big club in terms of the wages they pay. The transfer fees might not be the biggest in the league, but they’re always there or thereabouts. However, there’s a cap on wages that won’t be broken.”

Postecoglou, who won the Europa League in his final game at the club, continued: “At the end of my first year, when we finished fifth, for me it was: OK, how do you go from fifth to really challenging? Well, we had to sign Premier League-ready players.

“But finishing fifth that year didn’t get us into the Champions League, so we didn’t have the money. We ended up signing Dom Solanke, who I was absolutely keen on – I really like him – and three teenagers.

“At the time, I was looking at Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi as well, because I said if we’re going to go from fifth to there, that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment.”