Who should Spurs appoint as manager if Antonio Conte leaves?

T ottenham will have crunch talks with Antonio Conte next month but, with the Italian likely to depart at the end of the season, who should be his successor? Here are eight managers who have been linked with the job or should be on the club’s radar.

He’s magic, you know? Pochettino has long been linked with a return to Tottenham. There is a sense of unfinished business between both parties and Spurs fans would welcome him back with open arms. However, he wanted to rebuild the squad during his previous spell and was not backed properly by chairman Daniel Levy, so he would want guarantees that Spurs will be active in the market if he returns.

There is also a potential clash of personalities between Pochettino and the club’s director of football, Fabio Paratici. The Italian is believed to be popular among players and staff and, despite his 30-month suspension from Italian football, there are no suggestions he will be leaving Spurs any time soon. Yet, with Levy needing to bring fans back on side after a disappointing campaign, Pochettino’s return is a no-brainer. Whether performances would match the nostalgia remains to be seen.

If you manage Chelsea, it seems you have to take over at Tottenham before long. Three of Spurs’ last five permanent managers had been in charge of Chelsea at one point or another, with Antonio Conte following Andre Villas-Boas and José Mourinho in the well-trodden path from west to north London. Would Tuchel be willing to follow suit?

That may depend on whether Spurs make the top four. Tuchel’s record speaks for itself – but the same was said of Mourinho and Conte – and he might not want to take over a team in need of a rebuild. Tuchel would be a marquee appointment, but bringing in yet another