Tottenham considering Nuno Espírito Santo as their next manager
Nuno Espírito Santo is being considered by Tottenham to take over as manager as they attempt to replace José Mourinho following a protracted recruitment process that has seen negotiations with several candidates break down.
The former Wolves manager is understood to have emerged as a candidate despite the Spurs board having previously indicated that they were not interested in him. Fabio Paratici, the club’s new managing director of football, is believed to hold Nuno in high regard and maintains a good relationship with the 47-year-old’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
Nuno left Wolves in May by mutual consent after four seasons and has been linked with the vacancy at Everton after talks with Crystal Palace broke down this month. Palace are close to appointing the former Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre on a three-year deal.
Tottenham are also understood to have sounded out the former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde last week to gauge his interest. The 57-year-old is believed to be open to a return to management despite not having worked since being sacked by Barça in January 2020. He has spent the majority of his career in La Liga but had two spells at Olympiakos in Greece.
Last week Gennaro Gattuso, the former Italy midfielder, became the latest in an increasingly long line of candidates to fall by the wayside. Tottenham were close to appointing Paulo Fonseca after a contract had been verbally agreed with the former Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk manager, only for the deal to collapse, according to sources close to him, because of issues relating to tax. Spurs had previously called off talks with Antonio Conte.
Mourinho was sacked on 19 April, with Ryan Mason placed in interim charge until the end of last season.