Dean Jones has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter head Tottenham’s list of managerial candidates to replace Antonio Conte if he leaves the club this summer.
Conte, who was appointed as Spurs head coach in November, has helped the club work its way back into the Premier League top four race after a poor start to the campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo.
However, at points over the season, the Italian boss has seemingly threatened to leave the N17 side if he is not convinced the club can match his ambitions (Daily Mail), while it was alleged he offered himself to Paris Saint-Germain (Le Parisien).
Although Conte dismissed the rumours as ‘fake news’ ahead of Tottenham’s win over Leicester last week, he did not commit his future in North London, where he is contracted until 2023 (The Athletic).
And Jones has now revealed that Spurs have a contingency plan in place containing a list of potential replacements should the 52-year-old indeed depart.
It is thought to include former manager and current at-risk PSG boss Pochettino as well as Brighton tactician Potter, whose side are in strong league form.
Jones told GiveMeSport: “I think Pochettino is the go-to person for them, the next time they need a manager. We’ll have to wait and see if he’s actually available or not.
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“But, Graham Potter’s on that list too, so I’d say they’re the two frontrunners at the moment, Poch and Potter, if Conte was to go.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Even though Conte’s future is said to be uncertain, the club should be doing all they can to keep him on board as well as plan for next season while expecting him to be in the dugout.
Conte is one of the best coaches Spurs have managed to get their hands on so they should not waste this opportunity. But in case he does leave, the names cropping up at the moment are decent and Spurs could do a lot worse.
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