Tottenham identify preferred Ange Postecoglou replacements as Mauricio Pochettino admits desire to return | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are reported to be considering their options should a decision be made to part company with Ange Postecoglou at the end of the season.

Postecoglou enjoyed a whirlwind start to his time in north London in 2023, unbeaten over the first ten Premier League games of his debut campaign and top of the table for several weeks.

But 2024/25 has been a different story.

Postecoglou pointed out that he has always won a trophy in his second season at every previous club he's been at. Yet while that is still possible with Spurs in the Europa League, a torrid time has resulted in 15 defeats from 29 Premier League games and been branded as "unacceptable" by the manager.

The sheer number of injuries in the squad that Postecoglou has been forced to contend with has undoubtedly been a factor in sliding down the table, but the pressure has been avoidable.

If the Spurs hierarchy decides that a new manager is the best way to go, the Daily Telegraph has reported that Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva will be "among the leading candidates".

Iraola was appointed by Bournemouth in 2023 and, after a slow start, delivered a 12th place Premier League finish last season and now has the Cherries in the hunt for European football.

Silva has been known to English audiences for almost a decade, having been appointed by Hull City in 2017. The Portuguese had subsequent spells at Watford and Everton, but it is with Fulham since 2021 that he's had his best success, re-establishing the Cottagers as a top flight club.

Even Mauricio Pochettino has said he would still like to return / Julio Aguilar/GettyImages

Uncertainty over Postecoglou's future also comes at the same time as Spurs legend Mauricio Pochettino has reiterated his desire to return to the club at some point in his career.

Pochettino, responsible for Spurs’ best league finish in the last 60 years and their only ever appearance in a European Cup final, endured a challenging season with rivals Chelsea in 2023/24 and then signed a two-year contract to become United States head coach until 2026.

The Argentine has insisted there is no bad blood with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, despite being sacked only five months after the 2019 Champions League final.

"The appreciation between both of us was there and [continues] to be there. [From] the day after I left Tottenham, we keep a very good relationship," Pochettino told Sky Sports News.

"When I left the club, I remember in one interview saying, 'I would like to come back to Tottenham one day'. Because I'm with USA, I would say I'm not going to talk about that. But I [say], after six years I still feel in my heart that, yes, I would like, one day, to come back."