The manager who Daniel Levy wanted gave his verdict on Tottenham Hotspur’s modern-day team. “They are always a joy to watch,” he said. He had been an interested onlooker for years, watching on from abroad, seduced by the glamour of their flair players. “I watch a lot of Match Of The Day and [with] David Ginola, Paul Gascoigne, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart. They have always been a certain brand and a certain identity,” he added.
It could have been his brand, too. Because the man eulogising about Spurs had turned down the chance to coach them. He did not say so explicitly, because that is not Arne Slot’s way. He prefers not to talk about the expiring deals of his players, in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Nor does he want to discuss Tottenham’s attempts to appoint him in 2023. “I think it’s the same answer that I always give you about Mo’s contract situation and those things,” he smiled.
