Tottenham Hotspur are in contact with a former Bayern Munich boss to potentially replace under-pressure head coach Ange Postecoglou, according to reports, with the clock seemingly ticking on his stay in N17.
Tottenham likely to part ways with Ange Postecoglou
The prospect of Postecoglou's departure from north London is gaining more and more traction.
This week, The Telegraph reported that Tottenham could relieve Postecoglou of his duties, regardless of whether the Lilywhites end their 17-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Europa League.
Even an historic night in Bilbao may not be enough to save the Australian, with Spurs on course for their worst ever Premier League season to date. They're just one loss away from equalling their record for most defeats in a single domestic season, and it is highly likely Postecoglou is bestowed with that dismal record as champions elect, Liverpool, await them next at Anfield.
The 59-year-old has faced an uphill battle all season long, having lost a plethora of key players to injury for extended periods on a consistent basis, but 16th in the table is arguably still nowhere near good enough - even when factoring in their serious bad luck.
Attention is already turning to who could succeed Postecoglou, and there is no shortage of candidates linked to the potentially vacant role.
Mauricio Pochettino would privately love a return to Tottenham, according to reports, while the likes of Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Scott Parker (Burnley) have all been linked recently.
Now, a new name in the form of ex-Croatia captain and former Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovač has emerged as a managerial target.
The 53-year-old was appointed by Borussia Dortmund on an 18-month deal to replace the sacked Nuri Şahin, and he's since done a solid job, as Kovac attempts to spearhead European qualification after a previously disappointing campaign for the Bundesliga heavyweights.
The tactician, who's previously won a German title with Bayern and two German cups - one with the Bavarians and one at Eintracht Frankfurt - has now turned heads at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
According to newspaper Bild, via Sport Witness, Tottenham have made contact with Kovac, via an intermediary but not directly with the club, as chairman Daniel Levy casts his net to Europe in search of a new head coach.
Spurs are said to view him as a good fit due to his intense and aggressive style of play, but as things stand, he doesn't have an interest in leaving Dortmund. If this stance changes, Kovac's reputation as a true leader appears to be exactly what Tottenham are crying out for.
"He [Kovac] has experience, he was a very good player and was the captain of the Croatia national team," said Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus.
"He has charisma, he has passion, he knows about football. He was a leader as a player and is showing this as a coach too."