Tottenham Hotspur to sack Thomas Frank, with successor lined up: report

Thomas Frank’s days at Tottenham Hotspur seem numbered.

One of the game’s most trusted correspondents, David Ornstein, told NBC Sports that it’s a matter of “when and not if” he’s sacked by Spurs.

While it’s believed Frank will get the upcoming Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund, it seems he’ll need something monumental to keep his current role.

Tottenham Hotspur consider a huge potential Thomas Frank replacement

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Recently-appointed assistant John Heitinga is naturally one of the favourites to take over in the interim, thanks to a lengthy CV of Premier League involvement and top-level management with Ajax.

But eyebrows would be raised if that’s where the Spurs hierarchy turned for their permanent replacement. They are, instead, said to be looking at an altogether bigger name.

According to Fichajes, Spurs are considering an approach for former Barcelona man Xavi.

The 45-year-old is currently out of work after departing Camp Nou in 2024, and it’s believed the north London outfit have followed Manchester United in making enquiries.

Tottenham may find they have an advantage in the race, though, as Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Red Devils are placing a heavy importance on Premier League experience for their hire, which may lead them elsewhere.

Also in Spurs’ favour is that Xavi is believed to strongly favour a shot at Premier League management, and has been learning English as a result.

Former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is another name to have been raised at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to the Independent, but he is said to believe greater opportunities will be open to him further down the line.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Xavi would be a huge hire for Spurs, and a strong show of intent.

Frank’s difficult half-season reign has shown that success is far from guaranteed, but anyone who can survive the pressure-cooker environment of the Barca dugout for three years, as Xavi did, is a worthy candidate.

Whether the former midfielder thinks Spurs is the right fit for him is another matter, as he would be taking over a team on course for their second consecutive bottom-half finish.

With a number of top jobs uncertain in England’s top tier, he may well wait until the summer to assess the full range of options available to him.