Tottenham have already begun to build a succession plan for life after Antonio Conte.
The under-fire Italian boss now looks almost certain to depart Spurs when his contract expires at the end of the season, following a dispiriting Champions League last-16 exit at the hands of AC Milan in midweek.
Conte’s departure could yet come even sooner than that, if Tottenham’s bid for a top-four finish in the Premier League - now their sole ambition again in yet another trophy-less year - falters over the coming weeks.
Standard Sport understands that managing director Fabio Paratici has already drawn up a shortlist of potential successors to Conte in north London. Here, we look at who could be next in the Spurs hotseat.
Mauricio Pochettino
Re-hiring the Argentine would immediately give the whole club a lift and ease the pressure on chairman Daniel Levy. Pochettino is open to a sensational return and is out of work since his sacking by Paris Saint-Germain.
Spurs’s hierarchy are split on whether a reunion would be wise, however, while Real Madrid may reignite their interest in the 51-year-old if Spurs wait until the summer to make a move.
Luis Enrique
The former Spain boss is out of work after being sacked following the World Cup and is thought to be the leading choice of Spurs’s managing director Fabio Paratici.
Enrique won the treble with Barcelona in 2015 and has been described by Lionel Messi as the best boss he has worked with, along with Pep Guardiola.
But he lasted just a season at each of his other club jobs, Roma and Celta Vigo.
Thomas Tuchel
As an out-of-work Champions League-winning coach, who is familiar with the Premier League, plays attractive football and wants to return to London, Tuchel ticks a number of boxes for Spurs.
But would Levy want to hire a fifth ex-Chelsea manager?
Roberto De Zerbi
The Italian has taken Brighton to another level since succeeding Graham Potter, quickly establishing himself as one of the best up-and-coming coaches in Europe.
His attacking brand of football would be welcomed at Spurs, although he may lack the necessary experience and Potter’s struggles at Chelsea illustrate how hard it can be to step up from a well-run club like the Seagulls.
