Tottenham are ready to turn their attention back to Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, reports state, as they continue the hunt for a new head coach.
Spurs have been without a boss for almost two months following the sacking of Jose Mourinho in April.
Ryan Mason was chosen to lead the team for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign on an interim basis.
Tottenham’s first target was Julian Nagelsmann, but he was soon announced as Bayern Munich’s new manager from July 1.
Spurs have also failed in attempts to entice Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte to north London.
The club had reportedly been close to persuading the Italian to take over, but discussions broke down on Friday because the two parties were too far apart.
According to the Daily Mirror, Ten Hag is now at the top of Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s wish list.
The Ajax boss was linked with the job last month but his decision to sign a new contract with his current employers appeared to rule him out of a switch.
But Tottenham have not given up hope of landing the 51-year-old, and are even planning to complete the appointment this month.
Ten Hag has been in charge of Ajax in 2017, and was the man in the opposite dugout when Pochettino’s Tottenham beat the Dutch giants in the Champions League semi-finals two years later.
The Dutchman has won two Eredivisie titles during his time at the helm of the country’s biggest club.
Key figures at Spurs have long admired Ten Hag, who is ahead of Roberto Martinez in the list of candidates.
That is largely because Tottenham are finding it difficult to speak to Martinez, who is preparing Belgium for Euro 2020.
Meanwhile, Spurs are close to confirming the appointment of former Juventus director of football Fabio Partarici to a similar position in north London.
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