Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are now discussing the possibility of appointing a "special" manager who's been targeted by Real Madrid as a potential replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, and he'd be a big-name to follow in the footsteps of Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs face the Premier League champions elect, Liverpool, on Sunday - and defeat at Anfield could equal their record for most league defeats in a single season since the competition's inception.
It's been a torrid 2024/2025 for Postecoglou, who's dealt with consistent reports linking him with the Spurs exit door, and it is reliably believed that the Lilywhites could decide to sack him regardless of whether they win the Europa League (The Telegraph).
Tottenham sit 16th in the Premier League table after 18 top flight losses, with Postecoglou suffering from a major player selection crisis midway through the season thanks to a plethora of injuries to key squad members.
This undoubtedly crippled their chances of a respectable league finish, but languishing near the relegation zone is disastrous for a big six side like Spurs. Postecoglou has a saving grace, their promising Europa League campaign, where the Australian could end Spurs' 17-year wait for major silverware.
"You just got to try to deal with what is before you," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's season.
"As you said, we are well aware our league form and league position is not good enough. But we also know there is an unbelievable opportunity on the horizon. I think irrespective of, this club has had many seasons and a lot of clubs have had seasons where they have done outstandingly well in the league but don’t have the opportunity we have right now of being in the final four of a major European competition.
"That is where the focus is and where the focus should be irrespective, especially of a club that hasn’t had a lot of success recently. We have got a wonderful opportunity. The players have and the club has and collectively if we give ourselves every opportunity to progress to a final then I think hopefully the momentum we gain from that will give us a chance to do something special."
Tottenham talking about replacing Ange Postecoglou with Xabi Alonso
In the background, Tottenham are drawing up a shortlist of managers to replace Postecoglou.
Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Scott Parker (Burnley) have all been linked as potential candidates, with a Spurs return for Mauricio Pochettino not ruled out either.
As per GiveMeSport, key decision-makers in N17 now want to show more ambition and be bold in their pursuit of a new head coach, meaning they could now target Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso.
The Spaniard guided Leverkusen to a Bundesliga title last season, finishing the league unbeaten and making history. Alonso's side also very nearly finished the entire campaign without defeat, but were handed their only loss of 2023/2024 in the Europa League final against Atalanta.
This stellar job at Leverkusen on a limited budget has prompted reports that Real Madrid are considering him as a replacement for Ancelotti, but GMS now report that Tottenham have been talking about appointing Alonso as well.