Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy by extension have reportedly identified a new Spurs manager target in former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
Which managers are Spurs targeting?
Antonio Conte has now parted company with the Premier League top four hopefuls by mutual consent, kickstarting Levy's search for a permanent replacement this summer. Cristian Stellini, alongside his backroom staff and assistant coach Ryan Mason, have been put in interim charge until the end of the season – tasked with maintaining Spurs' place in the top four.
Champions League football could be pivotal in helping to attract some of world football's biggest managers and there have been no shortage of prestigious names linked to the role. Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann stand out as the most enticing and readily-available free agents with in-work bosses like Oliver Glasner also reportedly under consideration.
The Lilywhites' search could bring them closer to home in their hunt for a new boss with English top flight coaches like Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank regularly mentioned as targets via the media. Conte's succession plan is set to be one of the hottest topics in north London before this summer and there is apparently a new target on their radar.
According to Sky Sports Italia, Spurs and Levy now have former Real Madrid boss Zidane in their sights alongside the usual suspects like Nagelsmann and Enrique. The 50-year-old is now apparently 'on the list' at Tottenham as they begin working on who could step into Conte's shoes at the start of next campaign.
Should Tottenham appoint Zidane?
A move for Zidane would certainly have the potential to excite, especially when factoring in his overflowing trophy cabinet since becoming a coach. The Frenchman has 11 trophies to his name as a manager, including a quite brilliant three Champions League-winner's medals from his time at the Bernabeu.
Zidane has also been called 'phenomenal' by one of his former players, Luka Jovic, with ex-Spurs boss Pochettino expressing his admiration back in 2017. The Argentine admitted to having a 'certain weakness' for Zidane as both a footballer and manager which is not hard to understand given his achievements in both respects.
To make him more appealing to Levy, Zidane joins the illustrious list of free agent managers currently without a club. Indeed, if Tottenham were to make a formal approach, nothing would be standing in their way.