Ten Hag joins growing list of managers out of reach for Spurs
Daniel Levy’s search for Tottenham Hotspur’s next permanent manager is in danger of descending into farce, after Erik ten Hag became the latest man to rule himself out of contention.
Ten Hag signed a contract extension with Ajax shortly after holding discussions with Spurs. Sources disagreed over which party decided against the Dutchman making the move to London.
Whether it was Ten Hag or Tottenham who took a step back, Levy, the club’s chairman, is now under huge pressure to find the right man to succeed Jose Mourinho after a week of knock-backs.
Top target Julian Nagelsmann accepted an offer to become Bayern Munich manager. Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers also ruled himself out of the running and is understood to remain out of Spurs’ reach.
Ten Hag was prominent in the list of alternatives and Levy now has to consider whether to turn to Ralf Rangnick, the former RB Leipzig head of sport, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez or even Fulham’s Scott Parker.
Graham Potter, the Brighton and Hove Albion head coach, has been linked with the Spurs post, but the 45-year-old is believed to be focusing on pulling his side away from Premier League relegation danger.
Levy is already facing fan protests over Tottenham’s inclusion and withdrawal from the European Super League and has seen the club lose the EFL Cup final to Manchester City, after which Harry Kane reiterated his desire to win trophies.
Given the difficult position the club are in, Levy cannot afford to miss out on any more of his targets, as Ryan Mason continues in an interim managerial role.
Levy wants a progressive coach who will play attractive football and attempt to bring back the feel-good factor to Tottenham.
Mourinho’s style of football was not popular with many of the club’s fans and some of the players, and the new coach, will be tasked with putting smiles back on faces. He will also be expected to keep offering chances to young players, as well as getting the best out of the side’s big names.
Nagelsmann had been Tottenham’s top choice to replace Mourinho. Rodgers was also high on Levy’s list but he is preparing for an FA Cup final with Leicester, who, unlike Spurs, remain on course to qualify for the Champions League. Rodgers distanced himself from the Tottenham job.
Ten Hag emerged on a list of alternatives to Tottenham’s top-two choices and the interest certainly did him no harm as, yesterday, he signed a contract extension at Ajax that included a healthy wage rise.
Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
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