Tottenham Hotspur could well have identified a possible successor to Antonio Conte at N17, with the Italian looking increasingly likely to be axed in the near future.
What's the latest on Oliver Glasner to Spurs?
According to German outlet, BILD, the Lilywhites are believed to have made 'contact' with Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner regarding the possibility of replacing the former Chelsea boss in the dugout, with recent reports claiming that Conte could be sacked this week, following his recent, post-Southampton outburst.
The suggestion is that the north Londoners are 'now interested' in potentially turning to Glasner to fill the position, with the 48-year-old – who has been in charge of the Bundesliga side since 2021 – having just over a year left on his existing deal in Frankfurt.
Would Glasner be a good fit for Spurs?
The former LASK head coach has certainly caught the attention as a result of his fine work in Germany of late, having notably guided his side to Europa League glory last season, before securing progression into the last-16 of the Champions League this time around, finishing second in Group D – just a point behind Conte's men.
Despite the solid body of work that the Austrian has amassed in his managerial career thus far, there may be concerns that Tottenham would be simply appointing a carbon copy of their current manager, were chairman Daniel Levy to make a concrete approach for Glasner.
That likeness to Conte is showcased by the fact that the pair both typically utilise a back three, while the former Wolfsburg boss also appears something of a pragmatic coach, with his side's playing style having been outlined by Barcelona's Xavi last season:
"They play on the counter-attack and counter-press in a way I’ve only seen from a few teams in my career."
With Spurs supporters likely sick to death of Conte's "negative", counter-attacking methods – as described by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville – the fear will be that Glasner's arrival could merely continue that brand of football, rather than spark a transformation to a more progressive and free-flowing model.
Equally, on a weekend in which Conte simply exploded following his side's late collapse away to the Saints – hitting out at his "selfish" players – the Frankfurt man also publicly outlined his anger with his squad following the defeat to Union Berlin, having questioned the "quality" of his charges.
Although that may simply be a sign of Glasner's desire to win, such an approach has seemingly not proved fruitful for managers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium of late, with the typically ruthless Jose Mourinho having also alienated members of the squad prior to his sacking in 2021, with The Athletic referencing the 'divide' that had emerged in the latter days of the Portuguese's time at the club.
Not that there is anything wrong with having a demanding manager who strives for perfection, yet Levy will likely be wary of repeating recent managerial errors by securing a dominant figure who could ultimately end up alienating the squad.
As such, while there is undoubtedly merit in the links to Glasner, the Austrian's apparent likeness to the under-fire Conte should well be something of a red flag.