Tottenham Hotspur would still pursue former manager Mauricio Pochettino if he became available as doubts grow about Nuno Espirito Santo’s suitability for the job.
According to Football Insider, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was desperate to secure Pochettino’s return in the summer but Paris Saint-Germain were unwilling to let him leave.
A protracted hunt for a new manager culminated in the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo, who was far from the club’s first choice.
Discussions were held with Antonio Conte, Gennaro Gattuso and Paulo Fonseca before Nuno was finally given the role at the end of June.
Despite winning his first three league games to briefly take Tottenham top of the Premier League table, performances were largely uninspiring.
That’s remained the case as results have turned, with a particularly insipid showing in defeat to Arsenal last weekend.
Although there’s no suggestion that Nuno’s future is under immediate threat, there are certainly concerns brewing amongst the Spurs hierarchy.
That’s led to speculation that Levy could look to entice Pochettino back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if the opportunity arises.
The 49-year-old, who took charge of 293 games in all competitions, winning 159, remains a firm favourite with supporters.
He implemented an entertaining style of play, showed faith in young players and got Spurs challenging for honours on a limited budget.
Pochettino dramatically improved standards and expectations during his five years at the club, leading them to the Champions League final in 2019.
But just a few short months after defeat to Liverpool in Madrid, Pochettino was sacked following a poor start to the season, with Jose Mourinho coming in as his replacement.
Many Spurs players and supporters never warmed to Mourinho’s confrontational style, which caused a lot of friction throughout his short and tempestuous reign.
