Tottenham In 'Secret' Contact With FIVE Managers As Club Aim To Make A 'Decision This Week'

Tottenham have been in "secret" contact with five different managers last week in their bid to find Jose Mourinho's successor, according to transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano.

Mourinho, 58, was axed from Tottenham in April ahead of the club's Carabao Cup defeat to Premier League champions Manchester City.

Ryan Mason was appointed Spurs interim head coach after the Special One's 17-month spell at the club came to an end.

However, Tottenham's hopes of finding a new manager this summer have proved more difficult than anticipated ahead of the new Premier League season.

Former Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte was linked with the Tottenham head coach role before his appointment was scuppered due to a breakdown in talks.

Gennaro Gattuso, 43, also emerged as a potential candidate for Spurs after leaving Fiorentina only 23 days after being appointed.

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However, the former Napoli and AC Milan manager has been ruled out amid fierce backlash from Tottenham fans over his controversial stance on issues like same-sex marriage and women in football.

Now, Romano claims Tottenham have been in "contact with many managers" as he revealed three names on the club's list of managerial candidates.

According to Romano, Tottenham have been in talks with Ajax manager Erik ten Hag and former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick.

The 28-year-old Italian reporter added that former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has also been contacted by Spurs.

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"They are in contact with many managers and are trying to keep it a secret," Romano told talkSPORT.

"They have talked to five different managers in the last week. For example, I'm sure they contacted Ernesto Valverde on Friday.

"They were also talking with Ralf Rangnick, Ten Hag has always been there but it's not easy, I'm told that Ajax are convinced that he's staying.

"They have many managers on the list and I think they will make a decision this week."

Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Football, Erik ten Hag, Ralf Rangnick, Premier League, England, Fabrizio Romano, Ernesto Valverde

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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