Tottenham's next manager: Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique & the contenders to replace Antonio Conte

The man who came closest to transforming Spurs is first up on the list - Argentine tactician and current free agent Mauricio Pochettino.

Paris Saint-Germain took the decision to sack Pochettino after another failed Champions League campaign last summer, and he is now being linked with a sensational return to north London.

The 50-year-old guided Tottenham to League Cup and Champions League finals during his five-year stint in charge, along with one runners-up finish in the Premier League, before being relieved of his duties in November 2019.

He also now has the experience of managing three of the world's best players in the form of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, which might tempt Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to give him a second chance.

Tottenham have certainly gone downhill since Pochettino's departure, with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte all failing to deliver the same levels of consistency, and a homecoming could provide a much-needed lift to an increasingly disillusioned fanbase.

Thomas Tuchel was considered the frontrunner to become Spurs' new boss only a few weeks ago, but it doesn't take very long for things to change dramatically in football.

The German was appointed as Bayern Munich's new manager this week, with Julian Nagelsmann sacked after just one-and-a-half seasons at the helm.

Irrespective of how well former Chelsea boss Tuchel does at the Allianz Arena, Bayern's decision to part ways with Nagelsmann was a harsh one considering how much the club still has to play for this season.

The reigning Bundesliga champions are one point off top spot and through to the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and DFB-Pokal - meaning Tuchel could end up with an unprecedented treble come May.

Nagelsmann would deserve huge credit for any amount of silverware Bayern end up with, but he may already have his eye on a new position in the Premier League.

It has been reported that the 35-year-old is on Spurs' radar, and he might fancy his chances of succeeding where so many other top managers have failed.

Nagelsmann's progressive tactics could be exactly what is needed to freshen things up at Tottenham after another dour campaign.

The Barcelona legend is looking for work again after he was axed by Spain following their disappointing performance at the 2022 World Cup, where they were knocked out on penalties by surprise package Morocco at the last-16 stage.

It's his previous work with Barca that stands out on the managerial section of his CV, however, with Luis Enrique having steered the Liga giants to two Liga titles and the Champions League, winning six other trophies along the way, during a hugely successful stint between 2014 and 2017.

Like Conte, the Spaniard, who is, the Athletic reports, at the top of sporting director Fabio Paratici's list of managerial targets, doesn't tolerate nonsense but whether he could ultimately be a success in the Premier League remains to be seen.

It has been reported that Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper is also a contender to succeed Conte, with the Welshman boasting a number of admirers in the Spurs boardroom.

The 43-year-old inspired Forest's successful promotion bid last season, and has made them competitive in their first season back in the Premier League after 23 years, despite having to manage a huge squad after a major summer overhaul.

Cooper has proven himself as an accomplished man-manager, and might be able to give Spurs' flops the kick up the backside they sorely need. He did, however, commit to a new three-year deal at the City Ground in October.

He and Levy wouldn't exactly be a match made in heaven either, given the fact Cooper can be quite stubborn with his tactical approach and ideas, and any differences in opinion could potentially lead to more issues behind the scenes.

Eintracht Frankfurt's Oliver Glasner is well on his way to becoming one of the top coaches on the continent.

He made the switch to The Waldstadion in 2021 after two successful years at Wolfsburg, and guided Eintracht to an unlikely Europa League triumph in his maiden campaign.

Glasner's side are now pushing for a top-four finish in the Bundesliga, and his intelligent pressing system is thought to have caught the eye of Tottenham's senior staff.

Spurs might also see the 48-year-old as an attractive option due to the fact his contract is due to expire in 2024, meaning they wouldn't need to pay a huge compensation fee to secure his services.

When Graham Potter departed Brighton for Chelsea at the start of the season, it was feared that all of his good work at the Amex Stadium would be undone.

The Seagull's ninth-placed Premier League finish in 2021-22 was their best-ever showing, and former Shakhtar Donetsk boss Roberto De Zerbi was the man drafted in to try and match that standard.

Remarkably, the Italian tactician has managed to take Brighton to even greater heights, as they now sit in eighth place after 23 matches - seven points behind fourth-placed Spurs with three games in hand.

De Zerbi's work on the south coast has impressed Tottenham officials, and if he continues on his current trajectory, it seems inevitable that he will move onto a bigger club this summer.

Spurs might be slightly wary of appointing the 43-year-old, though, having seen Nuno fail spectacularly after making a similar step up from Wolves in the summer of 2021.

Next up on the list is Potter himself, who has learned the hard way that the grass isn't always greener when accepting a dream job after years of stellar service at a smaller club.

Much like Conte, Potter has been the subject of much scrutiny in recent months, after a disastrous start to his Chelsea reign.

Chelsea handed Potter an unprecedented five-year deal upon his arrival at the Bridge, but it has been reported that the club's Todd Boehly-led ownership group could be tempted to rip up that agreement if he fails to oversee a swift turnaround in fortunes.

Spurs has been mooted as a possible next destination for Potter if is he dismissed at Chelsea, but he reportedly turned the club down before Nuno's appointment, and would surely be an unpopular choice among supporters given his poor record with the Blues.

De Zerbi is not the only man exceeding expectations in the Premier League this season, with Thomas Frank spearheading an unlikely European charge at Brentford.

The Bees finished 13th in their debut top-flight campaign under Frank, and have managed to improve this term despite operating on a limited budget.

They are sitting just three points behind Brighton after the same number of games, and have claimed the scalps of Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City already this term, with Frank's attack-minded 4-3-3 formation reaping rich rewards.

Like De Zerbi and Cooper, Frank is one of the less experienced candidates for the top job at Spurs, but he certainly has a unique aura about him, and his preferred style of play could quickly win over any sceptical supporters.

Last but by no means least, Massimiliano Allegri is a man who needs little introduction.

The Italian tactician won 11 trophies during in his first spell at the helm of Juventus, including five successive Serie A titles, and also took them to two Champions League finals.

Allegri has been far less successful since returning to the club in May 2021, but his CV speaks for itself, and a possible reunion with Fabio Paratici may hold great appeal.

Spurs' current director of football held a similar position at Juventus during Allegri's peak years, and the pair reportedly still enjoy a good relationship to this day.

A potential move could be in the best interests of all parties concerned, too, with the Bianconeri fanbase having lost faith in Allegri well before the club's points deduction for false accounting in January.

Of course, the easiest permanent appointment Spurs could make now is Stellini - who already filled in for Conte twice earlier in the season while he was recovering from surgery to remove his gallbladder.

Should the 48-year-old salvage a fourth-place finish for Tottenham, he could emerge as the favourite to take the job outright.

Stellini knows the squad, and is reportedly well-liked in the dressing room - not to mention the fact he won't command a huge pay packet to stay on beyond this season.

To bring back Poch or appoint any other of the candidates on this list, Spurs would have to spend big and open themselves up to failure again, which they might not be willing to do at this stage.

Stellini could provide the stable base for the club rebuild again, and perhaps with three or four summer signings, prove himself as the right man to take them forward.