Next Tottenham manager: New name becomes ‘serious contender’ to replace Igor Tudor

Former Monaco manager Adi Hutter has emerged as a ‘serious contender’ to become Tottenham Hotspur’s new head coach and replace interim boss Igor Tudor, according to a report.

Tudor has failed to make the desired impact as interim boss in North London since succeeding Thomas Frank last month, and he is believed to be in danger of losing his job.

The 47-year-old lost each of his first four matches in charge of Spurs before they held Liverpool to a surprise 1-1 Premier League draw at Anfield, and then beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, albeit crashing out 7-5 on aggregate.

Tudor then oversaw a harrowing 3-0 home defeat to relegation-threatened rivals Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday, a result that has seen Tottenham slip to 17th in the table and just one point above the bottom three with seven games remaining.

The Croatian did not carry out media duties following the loss to Forest after being informed of the passing of his father, but his assistant Bruno Salter insisted that Tudor and his staff feel the full support of the club’s board.

Tudor out, De Zerbi or Hutter in at Tottenham?

“We need to carry on because we care, we care for Spurs, we are family and want to get out of this situation,” Salter told reporters

“I am 100% sure we can get through this situation. We all have the same goal: fight until the end of the season and stay in the Premier League. Of course, we feel the support of everybody at the club.”

Despite that, Football Insider claims that Spurs are set to sack Tudor within the next 24 to 48 hours, with ex-Brighton & Hove Albion and Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi lined up as their top managerial target.

As things stand, De Zerbi would be open to taking the reins at Spurs, but only if the club secure Premier League survival this season.

A separate report from The Telegraph claims that Tottenham have indeed made contingency plans in the event of Tudor’s departure, with 56-year-old Hutter believed to be a ‘serious contender’.

Spurs-linked manager Adi Hutter in profile

Hutter has been out of work since October last year when he was sacked by Ligue 1 club Monaco, where he won 51.61% of his games as manager over a two-and-a-half-year period.

Known for his proactive, aggressive brand of football, the Austrian-born boss began his coaching career in his homeland with Red Bull Salzburg Juniors in 2008 before working with Rheindorf Altach, SV Grodig and Red Bull Salzburg, managing over 200 games.

After a year in charge of Salzburg, Hutter spent just over three seasons with Swiss outfit Young Boys and won the Swiss Super Lig title in the 2017-18 campaign.

Hutter then gained experience in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, where he managed 141 games over three years, before spending only one season with Borussia Monchengladbach, leaving by mutual consent in May 2022 after just 37 games at the helm.

Tottenham have time to weigh up whether to swap Tudor for someone like Hutter, as they do not return to Premier League action for almost three weeks, with a tricky trip to Sunderland taking place on April 12.