It remains unclear who will be in charge of Tottenham Hotspur when they host bitter rivals Arsenal in the North London derby later this month.
The Lilywhites are currently without a head coach following the sacking of Thomas Frank on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Spurs’ 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United.
Frank had overseen just two wins from 13 Premier League home games, two victories from 17 games in the competition, and Tottenham are without a victory in their last eight in the league.
Several names have already been linked with the vacant post in north London, with the club’s official announcement including no mention of who would be taking charge of the first team ahead of the derby.
Now, though, it is emerging that a former manager of one of Spurs’ biggest rivals is among the front runners to take charge.
According to Italian outlet Sport Italia, via Football Insider, ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is in pole position to land the Tottenham job.
Maresca left Chelsea in January after 18 months in charge (Photo: PA Images/Alamy)
Maresca departed Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day, ending an 18-month spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.
During his tenure, Maresca had guided the Blues to Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs, but his relationship with those in charge of the club had soured prior to his departure at the start of January.
It is claimed that the Italian is viewed as the ‘ideal candidate’ to take charge at Tottenham, who currently sit just five points clear of the relegation zone in the Premier League.
The report suggests that Maresca is viewed as a coach capable of providing stability at Tottenham, following the sackings of both Ange Postecoglou and now Frank within the past 12 months.
If he were to be appointed by Spurs, Maresca would follow Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte in taking charge of Tottenham after a spell at Chelsea in recent years.