Football FanCast

With around two weeks before they make their Premier League return, one Tottenham Hotspur insider has confirmed when Igor Tudor is likely to be sacked.

Tottenham willing to appoint Dyche

The situation has never been more urgent than it is now at Tottenham. The Lilywhites are just one point above the dropzone with seven games left to play. They remain without a league win in 2026 and just suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.

Something simply has to change and those in North London seem to be well aware. Recent reports claimed earlier this week that Tottenham are now willing to turn to survival specialist Sean Dyche whilst Roberto De Zerbi continues to push for a summer arrival.

According to Dyche, however, there is nothing in the links as of yet. He told talkSPORT: "When you’re a manager you know you’re going to get asked these questions at some point.

"When you get asked them you try to be respectful. Tottenham are a brilliant club and a massive club, so when you say ‘I’m flattered’ everyone then goes ‘he hasn’t said no!’"

Whether that changes before the end of the international break remains to be seen. But even if it's not Dyche, it seems as though Spurs are ready to make a decision regarding Tudor's future.

The Croatian has won one game in what has been a disastrous tenure and a club insider has now shared when he's likely to leave the club.

According to Tottenham insider John Wenham, Tottenham are most "likely" to sack Tudor on Monday to give their next manager enough time to settle into the job before the Premier League returns.

"Tottenham are dealing with it appropriately and delicately, and it’s not about sacking somebody in the week of their father having their funeral and the sad loss and grief that he’ll be going through.

"It does seem like, from the media reports, that one, Tudor is definitely going to be relieved of his duties, and secondly, it’s likely to happen on Monday, thus giving two clear weeks until we play that fixture at Sunderland, which would give a new manager time to come in and work with the players." (Wenham via Tottenham News)

Tottenham are approaching the situation with delecacy, as Wehmam points out, following the death of Tudor's father on the day of the Nottingham Forest defeat.

A decision is "definitely" set to be made, however, and if Wenham is right then the interim boss will be heading for the exit door at the start of next week.

With seven games to go, it will leave Spurs without a manager and just a point above the relegation zone.

Tottenham Hotspur's malaise has deepened into something far more concerning, with the abject failures throughout the season now threatening to consume the Londoners.

While Tottenham still haven't fallen into the Premier League relegation zone, they are perilously close, and the recent improvements of West Ham United underline the desperate need for an upturn in results.

One spirited draw at Anfield aside, Spurs have lost every league game since the 1st of February, when Manchester City were held to a draw at the Etihad Stadium. They have been unable to build on the Europa League triumph of 2024/25, instead drinking from that poisoned chalice and now staring at relegation to the Championship.

Igor Tudor was only drafted in last month, but the Croatian interim coach has failed to get a tune out of this struggling squad, and a familial bereavement after the recent defeat to Nottingham Forest could see a mutual parting of ways before action resumes after the March international break.

Who Spurs could replace Tudor with

Roberto De Zerbi is the leading contender to take the job at Tottenham, but the Italian appears to have major reservations over taking on the role as the Lilywhites fight against relegation.

Whether they will succeed in that bid remains to be seen, and with Tudor's future uncertain, Sean Dyche has emerged as an alternative, but despite his relegation expertise, the former Burnley, Everton and Nottingham Forest is not the most inspiring name on the list.

However, this all feels like Mauricio Pochettino is being somewhat overlooked. Yes, the ex-Tottenham manager is firmly on ENIC Group's radar, and while the Argentine is set to lead USMNT out for the World Cup this summer, there's a sense that he'd jump at the chance to return to the Premier League and N17.

It's unlikely, but former Spurs and USA goalkeeper Kasey Keller reckons Tottenham could convince their former boss to jump ship before the end of the season, thus forfeiting his position at the helm.

Why Spurs should appoint Pochettino

It's nearly been seven years since Tottenham and Daniel Levy decided to sack Pochettino, months after he led them to the Champions League final.

Speaking at the time, journalist Alex Keble hailed the South American as a "genius", suggesting he was "too good" for Levy and for Spurs.

There was a strong argument to the decison - at the time - but it's hard to make a case for Tottenham having headed in the right direction since, and appointing either Dyche or De Zerbi may well be a continuation down that same errant track.

Frank and now Tudor have failed to spark any fluency or form from Tottenham's players. This is a talented team and, even against the backdrop of endless injuries, they should not be battling against relegation at the business end of the season.

But this is the Lilywhites' reality, and time is running out to preserve their status in the top flight. The defence is porous and the frontline lacks any kind of balance and sharpness. Pochettino's typical 4-2-3-1 formation and his controlled, front-footed style would align with the capabilities of the squad.

Whether ENIC Group and sporting director Johan Lange could prise Pochettino away from the USMNT before the World Cup is one thing, but if there is a glimmer of a chance in that regard, it must be taken, with the 54-year-old capable of giving rise to confidence and coherence, tying the squad together and maybe directing them toward form that would edge them away from the drop.

Dyche, though a relegation-fighting specialist, is simply not an inspiring coach, and his pragmatic tactics may well run at odds with a group of players whose confidence has been shot to pieces and whose connection is rather brittle.

De Zerbi, meanwhile, is a top tactician but has a volatile nature and a track record of contentiousness. Both managers have been sacked from their posts in 2026, whereas Pochettino understands Tottenham and has a rousing interpersonal style that would ensure the players have the fuel and focus to end this continent-wide discussion of Spurs' potential relegation from the Premier League.

Moreover, he could carry them forward over the next few years, building a project once again.

Igor Tudor looks more and more like a man on borrowed time, with one report claiming that Tottenham are seriously considering an ex-Watford boss to replace the Croatian.

Tottenham ramp up manager search as Tudor faces exit

Tottenham's search for a Tudor replacement has become one of the most chaotic and revealing stories in the Premier League recently.

A week into the international break, the club still does not have a new manager confirmed, Tudor has not yet been officially released, and the list of names that have either been approached, discussed, rejected or simply dismissed grows longer with every passing day.

Adi Hutter remains somewhere in the picture, with esteemed French newspaper L'Équipe reporting that the 56-year-old Austrian has been contacted and discussions have begun.

Sky Sport Germany's insistence that no concrete talks have taken place has muddied the water considerably, and the mood around a potential Hutter appointment has shifted from one of cautious optimism to quiet uncertainty.

His lack of Premier League experience has done nothing to help his case with a squad that needs an immediate lift, not another continental experiment like Tudor.

Roberto De Zerbi, the man the club genuinely want, keeps saying no to any prospect of an immediate role.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed the Italian remains the favourite for the summer role if Spurs survive, but his alleged 'not now' response to this week's fresh approach has made it clear he will not be rushed.

Mauricio Pochettino is contractually committed to the United States until the World Cup ends in July.

Marco Silva, discussed internally, remains at Fulham until at least the end of the season.

Ryan Mason, Chris Hughton and Tim Sherwood have all been floated as options, while Gus Poyet applied publicly on talkSPORT and was largely ignored.

Harry Redknapp put his hand up as well recently, nine years out of management, and was met with similar silence.

Robbie Keane, briefly discussed as a possibility, made it clear he has no interest in an interim appointment as Celtic and Crystal Palace also eye a move for the Irishman.

And so ENIC, growing more desperate by the day, have arrived at a name that is pragmatic, available and unmistakably unglamorous — Sean Dyche.

Sean Dyche ready to join Tottenham now as Spurs 'seriously consider' move

TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey report that Dyche is ready to take the Tottenham job right now.

The 52-year-old, currently without a club following his spell at Nottingham Forest, is understood to be genuinely open to the challenge of keeping Spurs in the Premier League and sources indicate ENIC are now 'seriously considering' him.

The thinking inside the club is straightforward: with seven games left and a single point separating them from the relegation zone, they need someone who has been in survival fights before and come out the other side.

Dyche has done exactly that — most memorably at Burnley, where he kept a limited squad in the top flight through sheer defensive organisation and collective determination, and at Everton, where he steadied a ship that looked almost certain to go under.

The Englishman also had a stint at Watford before his more noteworthy chapters.

He is not the appointment Tottenham fans dreamed of.

He is not De Zerbi's pressing philosophy or Pochettino's emotional connection to the club. He is a back-to-basics manager who organises defences, demands effort and wins ugly when ugly is what is needed.

Right now, ugly might be exactly what Spurs need.

Igor Tudor looked like he'd cracked the code at Tottenham Hotspur, overseeing a creditable draw at Anfield prior to securing a first win in charge over Atletico Madrid. The doubters appeared to have been quietened.

And yet, the Croatian proceeded to leave out arguably his best player against Atleti, Xavi Simons, for the visit of Nottingham Forest, while hooking the likes of Micky van de Ven at the break as the Lilywhites slumped back to square one again.

Almost a week has gone by without any concrete update regarding the 47-year-old's future, albeit with Spurs in no immediate rush to make a decision, with Tudor in mourning after the sad passing of his father last weekend.

If a change in the dugout is to be made, be it by mutual consent or not, free agent Roberto De Zerbi appears to be the leading target, yet other contenders also remain on the table.

Spurs could hire another free agent if De Zerbi says no

Reports earlier this week indicated that De Zerbi was ready to get straight back into work after his dismissal from Marseille, with the Italian believing he can be the man to lift Spurs away from danger.

The suggestion was that the 46-year-old was keen to get his hands dirty, rather than wait until the end of the season, not least with a potential move to Manchester United looking increasingly unlikely.

That viewpoint has since been challenged, however, with The Telegraph reporting on Friday afternoon that the north London side may have to change tack, should De Zerbi continue to insist that he will only take charge this summer.

The suggestion is that the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss would rather wait to see if Spurs are able to avoid relegation, before committing himself to the long-term project.

In the case of De Zerbi's continued refusal, the report outlined that the club hierarchy may then turn instead to fellow out-of-work coach, Sean Dyche, with the Englishman having parted ways with Nottingham Forest last month.

The only obstacle in that scenario is the fact of whether the 54-year-old would agree to taking over on a purely interim basis, with it said to be 'unlikely' that he pens a deal for just seven games.

​​​​​​​Why "old-school" Spurs target could be the perfect Tudor upgrade

Nuno Espirito Santo, formerly of Spurs, is now battling the north Londoners in the relegation dogfight at West Ham United, having been dismissed from his post at the City Ground earlier in the campaign.

The Portuguese coach had been succeeded in Nottingham by another ex-Tottenham boss, Ange Postecoglou, albeit with the Aussie then himself replaced just 39 days later.

His successor, Dyche, could now be the man to lead Spurs to safety at the expense of either West Ham or former club Forest. All makes sense, right?

Such a managerial merry-go-round may well have appeared unthinkable when Thomas Frank was named as Postecoglou's successor last summer, yet here we are, with desperate times calling for desperate measures as far as Tottenham are concerned.

Dyche, it must be said, is not the glamour name of De Zerbi, having even referred to himself as the "most old-school manager in the world" during his Burnley pomp.

And yet, if it is a firefighter Spurs are in need of, then he may well be the go-to man, representing a clear upgrade on Tudor, considering his prior Premier League experience.

Even in his most recent post at Forest, Dyche didn't disgrace himself, it must be said, somewhat harshly dismissed after racking up 22 points from 18 league games, after inheriting the mess that had been made by Postecoglou before him.

Whether it is at Burnley or Everton, the veteran coach has been in this position time and again, notably guiding the Toffees to safety back in 2022/23, with the Merseysiders having been in the relegation zone when he replaced Frank Lampard in the January.

Repeating that feat in the space of just seven games appears a little more taxing, although he knows how to steady the ship, having beaten Leeds United and Liverpool, while drawing with Manchester United, in three of his first four league games in charge in Nottingham.

Also unbeaten in his three career meetings with rival candidate, De Zerbi, Dyche is the kind of short-term solution Spurs are craving, having taken such a step backwards with Tudor in charge.

The latter man's lack of Premier League experience may well have been his undoing, yet with 350 top-flight games under his belt, Dyche represents a significant upgrade.

It remains remarkable to think that after ten games of the 2023/24 season, Tottenham Hotspur were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, following an unbeaten start to life under Ange Postecoglou.

The subsequent loss to Chelsea at N17 feels like a real defining moment then for what has occurred since, with Postecoglou's men hit for four in that memorable Monday night game, losing both Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie to red cards, while having also seen James Maddison and Micky van de Ven forced off with injury.

As it would prove, the Lilywhites would end that season in fifth with 12 league defeats in total, having lost a further 37 top-flight games since the start of 2024/25. Rivals Arsenal, for comparison, have lost just seven games over the past 18 months.

It's all come to a head with Spurs now very much in the relegation picture, with the question remaining as to who will be the next short-term or long-term appointment in north London.

Premier League boss could be ready to take the Tottenham job

Interim head coach, Igor Tudor, is still in place for now, although after Sunday's debacle at Nottingham Forest, there is a sense that the Croatian is heading for an inevitable exit.

With that in mind, reports this week indicated that Roberto De Zerbi is ready to get his hands dirty and take over the post immediately, despite parallel claims that we would rather wait until the end of the season.

The Italian maverick is currently available after his dismissal from Marseille last month, with his prior work in the Premier League at Brighton and Hove Albion also a major plus point.

The same is also true of Sean Dyche, with the 54-year-old another free agent who is also believed to be under consideration.

That said, there are those already in the top-flight who could also be in the equation, with GIVEMESPORT reporting that talks have already been held internally by the ENIC regime regarding a potential approach for Fulham's Marco Silva.

As the report notes, it is not yet clear whether that is with an eye on the 48-year-old replacing Tudor immediately, or joining this summer, with the Portuguese coach set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

Silva, for what's worth, is said to be ready to take the leap after racking up a wealth of experience at the likes of Everton, Watford and Hull City.

Why Silva would be a better appointment than De Zerbi

There's no denying that De Zerbi appears to be the frontrunner right now, with the 46-year-old's eye-catching brand of football likely to make him an appealing option for a fanbase who rightly demand exciting and progressive football.

That being said, the one-time Sassuolo coach has hardly showcased that he can be a long-term fit at any club, lasting less than two seasons at Brighton before moving on, while having also been in charge for roughly 18 months at Marseille.

Silva, therefore, would appear a wiser pick for ENIC in that sense, with the relatively youthful coach having been at Craven Cottage since the 2021/22 season, overseeing steady progress in west London over recent years.

There might also be the bonus, should the worst-case scenario occur, of Silva's work in the Championship during that debut campaign at Fulham, having lifted the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, while comfortably stabilising them in the top-flight since then.

In the current campaign too, the 4-2-3-1 boss has led the Cottagers firmly toward European contention, doing so without the need for lavish spending or major squad upheaval.

His "genius" - as he's been hailed by journalist Dean Jones - is forming a team that is greater than the sum of its parts, while transforming the fortunes of a player like Harry Wilson, now enjoying a career-best season with 16 goals and assists in the league already.

A figure who has managed in English football over an extended period now, having joined Hull City almost a decade ago during the 2016/17 campaign, Silva has done it all in truth, tasting relegation with the Tigers, yet also leading his current side to promotion.

That next step is to then allow him the opportunity to flourish at an elite club like Spurs, with Silva the type of figure who can bring a sense of calm to proceedings, unlike the chaos that De Zerbi so often provides, or in the at times dour manner that Dyche offers.

Whether it is as Tudor's immediate successor, or as the long-term replacement for Thomas Frank, the Fulham boss has more than done enough to put his hat in the ring.

Tottenham have approached a highly-rated manager to replace Igor Tudor 'this week', with the tactician responding to Spurs' interest.

Tottenham eye up a host of managers to replace Igor Tudor

The week that began with Tottenham in the grip of a full-blown managerial crisis ends, somehow, with even more chaos.

As the international break provides a brief pause in the Premier League action, ENIC have reportedly been burning through phone lines and burning through patience in equal measure, and the picture emerging from Spurs' frantic search for Tudor's replacement is one of rejected approaches, blocked routes and very few straightforward answers.

It started promisingly enough — on the surface at least.

Adi Hutter's name dominated the early part of the week, with the French newspaper L'Equipe confirming the Austrian had been contacted and discussions had begun.

TEAMtalk backed that up, though Sky Germany threw cold water on the idea of concrete progress, insisting no formal talks had yet taken place.

Hutter, 56, out of work since leaving Monaco in October, has been seen as a credible short-term option — but his lack of Premier League experience has done nothing to soothe concerns about whether he represents genuine progress.

Fabrizio Romano spent much of the week threading the needle on a far more significant name.

Roberto De Zerbi, the Italian who transformed Brighton into a top-six force and guided Marseille to second in Ligue 1, remains Spurs' primary long-term target.

The 46-year-old has just one trophy on his CV - a Ukrainian Super Cup win from his time at Shakhtar Donetsk - yet Pep Guardiola has called him one of the most 'influential managers of the last 20 years'.

Romano confirmed as much publicly — De Zerbi is the "favourite candidate from June," open to discussing the role in the summer provided Spurs survive.

He also tantalised with a single line that kept the door ever so slightly ajar, simply stating: "Let's see if Tottenham decide to make one more attempt for De Zerbi now."

They apparently did, but TEAMtalk claim that it has come to nothing.

Roberto De Zerbi says no to Tottenham after fresh approach 'this week'

Indeed, Tottenham made a fresh approach to De Zerbi this week and received a "not now" response for their troubles.

It is the latest in a consistent pattern stretching back weeks in which the former Brighton and Marseille boss has declined every opening to commit to an immediate return to management.

Sky Italy and Gianluca Di Marzio had already made his position clear: De Zerbi has no intention of going back into the dugout before the summer, regardless of which club is asking.

His departure from Marseille in February following a 5-0 thrashing by PSG was not long ago, and he is determined to step back, assess his options and return at a time of his own choosing.

It is not a specific rejection of Tottenham.

The Italian would consider Spurs in the summer and is open to talks — the project, the squad, the stadium all have their appeal. But a relegation-threatened mid-season rescue mission is not what he has in mind, and no amount of persistence from north London has yet shifted that position.

Whether another attempt might eventually change his mind remains, technically, an open question.

With the Sunderland game on April 12 approaching and Tudor's future still unresolved, Tottenham are fast running out of time to keep gambling on the answer changing.

Tottenham Hotspur are now in a desperate position following a brutal response from Roberto De Zerbi. So much so that they're finally willing to turn towards a survival specialist.

De Zerbi delivers frustrating Tottenham response

In Tottenham's ideal world, De Zerbi would be their man. He would be on his way to take the reins and guide the club back to where they were prior to what has been a disastrous 12 months. This, however, is not their ideal world.

The reality is that touching down in North London could quickly hand any given manager a relegation on their CV, and a big one at that. It's a fate that Igor Tudor could be resigned to if he keeps hold of his interim position and one that De Zerbi is keen to avoid.

Following claims that the Italian is a candidate for the job, reports have indicated that he would like to take the job in the summer rather than in the final seven games of a relegation battle.

If Spurs are to make a managerial change, then it has to be during the international break. It's the perfect time to reset before a daunting final two months of Premier League action.

It's desperate times for Tottenham and those remaining seven games look far from routine. They're in dire need of a survival specialist.

Desperate Tottenham willing to hire Sean Dyche

With De Zerbi only willing to take charge from the summer, Tottenham are now willing to hire Sean Dyche, as per The Telegraph's Sam Wallace.

At this stage of the campaign, the former Nottingham Forest and Everton boss stands out as the best option. Now is not the time to focus on style or someone that will steal the headlines. Sat one point above the dropzone, Tottenham simply need results.

Dyche has some unfinished business in the current campaign too, after Nottingham Forest showed him the door following just 18 Premier League games in charge. It would be quite the story if his turnaround at Spurs played a part in dragging the Tricky Trees down to the Championship.

The manager's 4-2-3-1 pragmatic system is unlikely to be entertaining, but it may well prove to be more effective than Tudor's approach which is yet to earn a single league win.

Liverpool have identified one marquee Tottenham star as a long-term replacement for their club legend, according to a new report.

Spurs face mass summer exodus amid relegation fears

Seven games left, one point above the drop zone, no Premier League win since December. Whatever unfolds in the coming weeks, the summer at Tottenham is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the club's history.

Regardless of which division they find themselves in come May, technical director Johan Lange and Vinai Venkatesham have come under serious fire after what has been a disastrous campaign.

Tottenham could hire yet another new manager amid the uncertainty surrounding Igor Tudor, and face a potential summer exodus.

The scale of possible departures is staggering.

The Athletic reported in February that 15 first-team players could leave if relegation becomes reality, a list that reads more like a fantasy football XI than a squad set for the Championship.

The full scroll of names they mentioned were Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso, Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

Xavi Simons, signed for £55m last summer, is reportedly keen on a return to Barcelona.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is said to be exhausted by the chaos and ready to move on, with Inter Milan eyed up as a specific destination.

Mohammed Kudus, another expensive acquisition, is on Atletico Madrid's radar.

Micky van de Ven, meanwhile, is being tracked by Man United, Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Most of the squad hold relegation clauses allowing wages to be cut by up to 50 per cent, as per The Athletic — cold comfort given how many would simply walk out of the door regardless.

Lilywhites captain Romero is another curious case, with reports stating for months that he looks certain to leave N17 this summer regardless of their league standing.

Liverpool identify Spurs captain Cristian Romero as target to replace van Dijk

Now, Sports Boom are reporting that Liverpool have set their sights on him.

The 27-year-old, a World Cup winner with one of the most distinguished defensive CVs in world football, signed a contract extension earlier this season that ties him to the club until 2029.

Diego Simeone has made no secret of his admiration.

The Atlético Madrid boss, who was supposedly priced out of a move for his compatriot last summer, has apparently instructed his board to find a way to make it happen.

However, Atlético are not operating in clear water.

Liverpool have identified Romero as a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk and are understood to have placed him on their defensive shortlist.

Man United have also entered the conversation in recent days, so there is no shortage of suitors.

One significant catch remains, though.

Spurs have made clear they will refuse to sell Romero to a Premier League rival should they avoid relegation.

The picture changes dramatically if the unthinkable happens and they drop to the Championship — at which point, any pretence of controlling his destination largely evaporates.

Sports Boom back up other reports that Romero could leave regardless of the club's fate.

The captain, who has given his best in a Spurs shirt, has also proved to be a liability at times with his recklessness, but elite clubs are fully aware of the world-class quality Romero possesses on his very best day.

Tottenham apparently value the Argentine at around £87 million, but again, relegation would likely force the north Londoners to accept a reduced fee.

With seven games to decide their division, the clock is ticking on much more than just survival.

Manchester United have the red ribbon in their sights, and if they cross it ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, they will play Champions League football next season.

The Premier League has not been a happy hunting ground for the Red Devils in recent years, and last year's 15th-place finish under Ruben Amorim was a new low, aggravated by the salt-to-wound Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

So many failings, but with Michael Carrick now in interim charge, there's a strong sense that changes have been made under the INEOS regime, and the looming summer transfer window poses the perfect opportunity to reinforce this strong position.

Whether Carrick will keep hold of the reins is uncertain right now, but Casemiro is set to leave when his contract expires and Man United are going to need a top-class replacement at number six.

Man Utd ready to sign a Casemiro upgrade

Casemiro, 34, has been a dutiful servant for Manchester United, and it's interesting to see him improve during the later stages of his Premier League career.

There's not much to say about it. INEOS have waived the option to extend the Brazilian veteran's deal by one year, and given the finances involved and the need for change, that's understandable.

However, it's now crucial that the Old Trafford side make the right call in replacing him, and while Premier League stars like Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Carlos Baleba have been earmarked, there's one man above all others who must be prioritised.

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United have chosen Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson as their dream choice to bolster the Old Trafford midfield this summer. However, neighbours Manchester City are also keen, and separate reports claim Pep Guardiola's side hold the lead in the race.

The England international has emerged as one of the best in the business, and he won't come cheap. In fact, he's been valued at £100m by the Tricky Trees.

Casemiro is on the way out, and the Red Devils need a new six. A range of options have been tagged, but Anderson might just be the pick of the bunch.

Why Anderson is the perfect Casemiro upgrade

Anderson isn't the only one on Jason Wilcox's shortlist at Manchester United: Newcastle's Guimaraes and Tonali are both admired, and both are likely to come at a similar cost as Anderson.

It's one of the three, then. While Eddie Howe's lieutenants are more accomplished than Anderson, 23, there's a reason that the Magpies manager has been vocal in his regret at selling him to Forest, and his desire this season to bring him back to St. James' Park.

Anderson has outgrown Forest, in a way. He is well placed to star alongside Declan Rice in the England midfield at this summer's World Cup, his powers drawing him to the top of the Premier League tree too.

Man United would not only upgrade on the ageing Casemiro with Anderson charging the engine room, but they'd also land a better deal than investing in Tonali or Guimaraes, the former of whom has ebbed and flowed on Tyneside and the latter turning 29 in November.

Anderson is young and still unrefined, and yet he has already been described as "one of the best midfielders in the Premier League" by England manager Thomas Tuchel.

He is also more accomplished as a number six than Tonali, whose elegance and intelligence work well as an adjunct to the more orchestrated Guimaraes at the heart of the pitch.

Is Anderson better than Guimaraes right now? There's certainly a case to be made there.

In truth, Guimaraes probably boasts a slightly more expansive range of passing. But whether the Brazilian's creativity needs to be prioritised when Bruno Fernandes is riding the crest of a gargantuan wave is questionable, for sure.

In Anderson, Carrick (or whoever is given the permanent job) would find an all-action midfielder with dynamic athletic and physical properties, one whose potential is still untapped - and yet he is already rivalling someone like Guimaraes.

Would it be a gamble? Anderson would cost a lot of money, but he's proved himself over two successful years at Forest, first leading a high-flying outfit punching above their weight and then keeping the City Ground afloat as it threatens to sink.

The best is yet to come, and Wilcox needs to make sure it comes together at the Theatre of Dreams.

Tottenham Hotspur, after previously enjoying such a settled period under Mauricio Pochettino, are almost mirroring the post-Sir Alex Ferguson chaos of Manchester United, now left wondering where to turn after so many failed managerial appointments.

There have been the explosive, brief tenures for the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, alongside the swift sackings of Premier League-proven figures like Nuno Espirito Santo and Thomas Frank.

All those missteps and mistakes have led the Lilywhites to their current predicament, staring down the barrel of relegation after another car-crash tenure for new interim boss, Igor Tudor.

The question remains as to whether the ENIC regime will stick or twist with the Croatian, heading into the final stretch of the season, with there also the nagging issue of whether the club's long-term targets are willing to be parachuted in immediately.

The latest on Tottenham's manager search

One point from five Premier League games in charge, alongside a 7-5 aggregate loss in the Champions League, has left Tudor on thin ice in north London, with Spurs having gone into the international break following a dismal home defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.

If ENIC are to make a ruthless decision on the 47-year-old's future, this brief hiatus from club action is the time to do it, with a raft of names having been mooted as potential options in recent days.

Among the frontrunners appears to be ex-Marseille man, Roberto De Zerbi, with reports earlier this week indicating that the Italian would be ready to dive in and lift the club to safety.

That said, contrary reporting has also suggested that the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss would rather wait until the summer, in order to see if the Lilywhites are able to beat the drop.

With regard to the naming of Frank's long-term replacement, ahead of next season, De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino appear to be the frontrunners, although they aren't the only contenders.

Indeed, reports earlier this month, as per talkSPORT, suggested that Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner could also be under consideration, with the Austrian having confirmed that he will leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season, upon the expiry of his contract.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt boss has had his own struggles this term in south London, although his work to date shouldn't be ignored, having certainly put himself in the frame for the end of the campaign, if not in the immediate future.

Why Glasner could be an upgrade on De Zerbi

The focus is on replacing Tudor as a priority, but Spurs do also need to look ahead to the summer too, with Glasner a worthy target to pursue, not least considering he will be a free agent.

While De Zerbi might be the glamour name, Glasner would arguably represent something of an upgrade, having proven his credentials when it comes to winning silverware at the elite level.

In contrast to De Zerbi's medal haul, which stands at just a solitary Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk, the Palace boss has overseen far more notable successes in his managerial career to date.

Back in Germany, for instance, the 51-year-old defied the odds to lead Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022, beating Rangers in the final, after having seen off the likes of Barcelona and West Ham United en route.

Since joining the Eagles in 2024, meanwhile, Glasner has been responsible for arguably the greatest day in the club's history, having beaten Manchester City at Wembley in May to claim Palace's first-ever FA Cup triumph.

That was followed by another showpiece triumph over Liverpool just a few months later in the Community Shield, now boasting a trophy haul in English football that even eclipses Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, leaving pundit Jamie O'Hara to suggest that it is the Austrian who is the "better manager".

It is not out of the question that Glasner's side may also even end the campaign as Conference League winners, having moved into the quarter-final stage, a result that would be another feather in his cap.

Of course, there's no denying that it has been a turbulent season at Selhurst Park, with Glasner drawing criticism from supporters for revealing his intention to leave, but there have been extenuating circumstances.

Indeed, he has been dealt a poor hand following the exits of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi at crucial junctures of the campaign, while the lack of adequate investment has hamstrung a Palace side now competing on multiple fronts.

Even so, Glasner has still led the Eagles comfortably away from danger, amid all that turmoil, with his settled 3-4-2-1 approach working wonders in recent seasons.

A man with a better trophy record than both De Zerbi and Arteta, despite having never coached a truly giant club, Glasner is deserving of a shot at the big time.

Whether it is now or this summer, he should certainly remain on ENIC's list of leading Frank or Tudor replacements.