Mourinho leads candidates to replace Pochettino at Spurs

With Southampton sitting second bottom of the Premier League, Ralph Hasenhuttl's stock is at an all-time low.

The Saints have won just 12 of the 40 games they have played since his arrival last December and are three points from safety after 12 games this season.

Nevertheless, the 52-year-old Austrian's history with German high-flyers RB Leipzig shows that he has something to offer as a coach.

He may be an outside bet to make the leap to Tottenham this season with his current side in such bad shape, but the Southampton board are reportedly convinced he has what it takes to get them out of a sticky situation.

His passion for the high press and quick, attractive football could persuade the Spurs board that he is worth a gamble, too.

Newcastle fans were outraged when the club sacked Rafael Benitez in the summer and they are not the only ones who know the Spaniard has a lot to offer the Premier League.

West Ham are said to be eyeing him as a candidate in case they sack Manuel Pellegrini this season and many believe he will end up back in the English top-flight.

But Benitez has just started his new job in China, where he has won six of his first 14 matches, and he insists he still has a lot of work to do in the lucrative league.

He was considered a potential replacement for Arsene Wenger at Arsenal when the Frenchman left in 2018 and his name will start ringing around London again as pressure builds on Unai Emery.

Tottenham, though, could be a surprise destination for the experienced manager as the Chinese campaign ends in December.

He may have just taken over as RB Leipzig boss in the close season, but 32-year-old Nagelsmann has reportedly caught the eye of Spurs chief Daniel Levy.

His playing career never really got off the ground, but Nagelsmann has made a big impression as a coach, having thoroughly impressed during his three-year spell in charge of Hoffenheim.

Even Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola waxed lyrical about the rising star last year.

“I’m really, really impressed [with Nagelsmann],” he said after they faced each other in the Champions League. “Taking over Hoffenheim in such a bad situation so young. He will have a lot of success in his career. He’s already at a good team in a top competition. It’s the first time we meet, but hopefully it won’t be the last.”

Nagelsmann is off to a good start with Leipzig as they sit second in the Bundesliga and just four points behind early leaders Borussia Monchengladbach.

But many believe he is destined for a move to the Premier League and Spurs will be just one of several sides keeping an eye on his progress.

The Liverpool legend says he came close to joining Tottenham as a player before bringing an end to his career, but he could still end up at the London club.

It was Pochettino who wanted to sign him before he opted for a move to MLS side LA Galaxy because he could not bear playing against Liverpool.

"It was good to know he still rated me," he said. "I was sure I could play in the Premier League for another year but there would not have been much of a buzz doing the same thing all over again with Tottenham."

Now in his second season with Rangers, Gerrard has been regularly linked with a move back to England and Pochettino's departure has cleared the way for renewed talks with Spurs.

Gerrard has helped turn Rangers into contenders for the Scottish Premiership title as his side sit level on points with Celtic and have lost just one domestic game this season - a 2-0 defeat at home to their Glasgow rivals.

The Dutch coach has caught the attention of several top teams due to his impressive work at Ajax.

He led the Amsterdam outfit to the Champions League semi-finals last season, where they were knocked out by Pochettino’s Tottenham through a last-minute goal in the second leg.

Having worked as reserve coach at Bayern Munich during Pep Guardiola’s time in charge, he has been linked with a return to the German giants, but they will not be the only club considering a move for him.

He extended his contract with Ajax in June after guiding them to the domestic double last season, but he has suggested he is open to moving to Bayern but insists he will not leave his current post during the campaign.

"Well, I think [Marc] Overmars wants to keep me," he said in response to questions about a move to Bayern.

"We are busy with something beautiful here, and we will keep building on that steadily."

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is said to be a big admirer of Eddie Howe, who has established himself as one of England’s top managers during his time at Bournemouth.

Howe’s current spell with the Cherries has lasted seven years and began when the club were languishing in League One.

Not only did he guide them to the Premier League four years ago and managed to keep them there, Howe’s side finished ninth in their second season in the top division and they are currently in the top half of the table after 12 games.

Having worked wonders with a limited budget, he will certainly appeal to the London side who have resisted the temptation to spend big in recent seasons.

The former Liverpool and Celtic boss has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the new season with Leicester, who sit second in the Premier League after 12 games.

Not only are the Foxes the second most prolific side in the English top-flight this season with 29 goals, they have the best defensive record in the league having conceded only eight times.

The likes of ex-Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher have backed him to take over a traditional Premier League giant once again as he has repeatedly proven his managerial quality.

The 46-year-old could prove an intriguing option for a Spurs side determined to crawl back up the table. He made a big impression at Swansea before almost guiding Liverpool to the Premier League title and then overseeing a successful spell in Scotland with Celtic, where he won seven trophies in just three years.

The Italian has won six Serie A titles in his career as a coach.

After guiding AC Milan to the Scudetto in 2011, Allegri continued Juventus’ dominant spell with a further five league crowns and also took the Bianconeri to two Champions League finals.

Allegri has been out of work since leaving the Juve in the summer after five years in charge and has already been linked with a move to the Premier League with Manchester United and touted as a potential replacement for under pressure Unai Emery at Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are also said to be considering him after sacking Niko Kovac, though they recently confirmed Hansi Flick will stay in charge until the end of the season.

With all those posts currently filled, Spurs could be the first to move for the respected 52-year-old manager.

Under increasing pressure at Napoli following an uncharacteristic run of five matches without a win in all competitions, Carlo Ancelotti could well find himself out of a job in the near future.

Outspoken club president Aurelio De Laurentiis recently enforced a 'ritiro' for the players, essentially meaning that they would have to stay at the club's training camp until results improved.

The supremo changed tack after Ancelotti himself said he didn't agree with the ritiro, handing power back to the manager in a bid to keep the players onside.

It's that kind of politicking that the club could do without as they sit seventh in Serie A and 13 points behind leaders Juventus and a change in leadership could be in the interests of both club and manager.

With the highly-decorated Ancelotti understood to be on the brink, the Italian rocks up at number two on the list of favourites to replace Pochettino.

Out of work, managerially at least, since being let go by Manchester United, Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his wish to return to the dugout with a top European side.

Recent reports suggested the 56-year-old had been 'keeping an eye' on the situation at Spurs but that he was also confident of landing the Real Madrid job should Zinedine Zidane be shown the door.

Now, with Spurs' options limited and Real Madrid back in a purple patch of form under Zidane, Mourinho is the first favourite with the bookies to replace Pochettino in the Spurs dugout.

Goal can confirm he is interested in a return to London and would be interested in the Spurs job.

Interestingly, Madrid supremo Florentino Perez is said to be a long-term admirer of Pochettino, meaning he could be an option if Zidane's charges suffer another dip in results.