Tottenham Hotspur have made Julian Nagelsmann their top candidate to become their next permanent head coach, according to reports…
Tottenham manager news – Julian Nagelsmann leading the race
Football Insider claim Spurs are 'huge admirers' of the 35-year-old and are willing to wait until the summer to appoint him as he is assessing his options before next season.
It's thought that the German, who was recently sacked from Bayern Munich, does not want to take a new job until the end of the current campaign, with Antonio Conte's assistant Cristian Stellini left in charge on an interim basis until then.
The Lilywhites do face competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea, having sacked Graham Potter earlier this month. They have brought in club legend and ex-manager Frank Lampard to see them through until the summer.
Former FC Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is also in the running for both London vacancies, whilst a return for Mauricio Pochettino is also possible, with supporters singing for his return in Tottenham's recent win over Brighton and Hove Albion.
Should Daniel Levy hire Nagelsmann over Pochettino?
After things ended on a sour note, it would be a surprise to see stubborn chairman Daniel Levy see the error of his ways and organise a sensational comeback for the Argentine coach and there is reason to believe that things wouldn't be too different under him anyway.
A lot of the same underperforming squad still remains in place, with players like Eric Dier, Hugo Lloris and Ben Davies still starting every game when fit, whilst others like Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele are still technically on the books.
Nagelsmann, who was once hailed as a "mastermind" by Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinz, could add some fresh impetus to a club in dire need of a drastic shake-up. His renowned attacking playing style is the complete opposite to some of the negative dross served up by his possible predecessors in north London, namely Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho.
"The mixture of possession and high-intensity counter-press was the key," says Hinze. "It was very difficult to play against," Hinz added.
As an innovator, we've seen plenty of different formations from the 35-year-old, ranging from a back three at both Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig to a 4-2-3-1 at the Bundesliga champions.
Speaking about his philosophy, Nagelsmann once said:
"I like to attack the opponents near their own goal because your own path to the goal is not as long if you get the ball higher up. I like the way Villarreal play and they have a great way of coaching young players. I also like Barcelona and Arsenal as well as the work of Arsene Wenger."
The German left the Bavarian giants with an impressive win rate of 71.4%, having lost just ten of his 84 matches in charge, and unlike Pochettino back then, he has some silverware under his belt prior to being appointed as Spurs boss.
If Levy wants to bring the good times back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, then it could be well worth waiting for Naglesmann, who could transform the club in the same way he did at Leipzig – by playing expansive, progressive and exciting football.