Tottenham Hotspur are set to appoint Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou as their new manager, as reported by The Athletic.
Spurs’ search for a new permanent manager started in March after the club terminated Antonio Conte’s contract by mutual consent, appointing Ryan Mason as a caretaker boss until the end of the season.
Daniel Levy wanted to appoint a new manager before the end of the 2022/23 campaign, but primary target Julian Nagelsmann turned down the prospect of joining the London outfit.
The former Bayern Munich tactician was also unwilling to take over the managerial reins at Chelsea, forcing Levy to seek alternatives.
Feyenoord manager Arne Slot emerged as the perfect candidate for the job, but the Dutchman rejected Spurs’ proposal, committing his future to De Kuip instead.
Tottenham also hoped to convince Xabi Alonso to move to the Premier League following a decent managerial breakthrough at Bayer Leverkusen this term but to no avail.
After running out of options, they have turned their attention towards Postecoglou, who has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Celtic since his arrival in 2021.
He helped the Hoops wrestle back Scottish Premiership supremacy from arch-rivals in his first season at Celtic Park and won the Scottish League Cup.
Postecoglou’s troops defended both titles in 2022/23 and added the Scottish Cup to the tally, putting the 57-year-old on Spurs’ radar.
Before landing in Glasgow, the Australian reigned supreme in his homeland, winning the A-League title with Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory.
He then took a four-year break from club management to coach the Australia national team between 2013 and 2017 before guiding Yokohama F Marinos to the J1 League triumph in 2019.
Postecoglou’s first task at the new job will be to bring Tottenham back to Europe after Mason’s side finished eighth in the Premier League this term, missing out on continental qualification for the first time in over a decade.
Whether he’ll have long-serving stalwart Harry Kane at his disposal remains uncertain, with the England captain’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hanging by a thread.
