Gennaro Gattuso emerges as the shock favourite to replace Jose Mourinho as Tottenham manager, with the odds PLUMMETING from 999/1 to 4/6… as talks with Paulo Fonseca come to an instant halt
- Gennaro Gattuso has emerged as the favourite for the vacant Tottenham job
- The north London club were on the brink of appointing Paulo Fonseca
- But the move is now off, with Daniel Levy’s search restarting once more
- Reports state Tottenham have contacted Gattuso, who left Fiorentina TODAY
Gennaro Gattuso has emerged as the shock favourite to succeed Jose Mourinho as Tottenham manager, following reports that the north London club’s pursuit of Paulo Fonseca is off.
It had been widely recognised that Fonseca’s move to Tottenham was all-but a done deal, with the former Roma boss the top choice of newly-acquired Managing Director of Football Fabio Paratici.
Fonseca was expected to sign a two-year deal having agreed a verbal contract, but those talks have now broken down, with Tottenham reportedly switching their attention to Gattuso instead.
Gennaro Gattuso left Fiorantina earlier on Thursday and is now favourite for the Tottenham job
It comes after talks with former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca collapsed in the blink of an eye
Gattuso, 43, walked out of Fiorentina earlier on Thursday, despite being appointed as manager just 23 days ago.
The former Napoli boss had engaged in a dispute with the Fiorentina board regarding which players they would opt for this summer, with the club reportedly looking at more affordable players than those put forward by Jorge Mendes, Gattuso’s agent.
It was Sky Sports Italia who initially broke the news of the breakdown in talks between Tottenham and Fonseca, citing ‘fiscal reasons’, before journalist Fabrizio Romano stated the former Roma boss had been the beneficiary of tax advantages in Italy, which would not be applicable in the United Kingdom.
However, the Evening Standard and The Telegraph have since reported that Tottenham simply opted out of the deal after Gattuso became available, with finances not relevant.
Alasdair Gold of Football London has also elaborated, stating Fonseca’s team are ‘completely bewildered’, having held meetings throughout the week to prepare for the upcoming season.
It marks the latest twist in Tottenham’s bizarre search for a new manager, having already missed out on Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochetino, Julian Nagelsmann, Brendan Rodgers and Erik ten Hag.
| Manager | Odds to take over |
|---|---|
| Gennaro Gattuso | 4/6 |
| Erik ten Hag | 6/1 |
| Roberto Martinez | 8/1 |
| Mauricio Pochettino | 11/1 |
| Paulo Fonseca | 12/1 |
| Antonio Conte | 12/1 |
| Odds provided by Betfair | |
Gattuso, who as of late was a 999/1 outsider for the job, is now the overwhelming favourite to take the Tottenham job at 4/6.
Fonseca, who was at a low of 1/50 secure the appointment, is now only the fifth-favourite at 12/1, with Pochettino, Roberto Martinez ten Hag and Gattuso all deemed more likely candidates.
Gattuso has been in management since 2013, in charge of clubs such as Napoli and AC Milan
Though not holding the same stature as a Conte, for exmaple, Gattuso did win the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2019-20, beating Juventus in the final.
That came after a two year trophy-less spell with AC Milan, having started his career in the dugout as player-manager of Swiss outfit Sion, after which he called an end to his playing days.
The former midfielder narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification with Napoli, however, and was consequently dismissed.
Tottenham will certainly be looking to end their spell without a manager sooner rather than later, with the Premier League season starting just 34 days following the conclusion of Euro 2020 on July 11, and with an opening-day encounter against Manchester City creeping ever closer.
As it stands, it’s Gattuso who is the latest candidate at the forefront of the queue, though as we’ve seen time and time again in recent weeks, that could all change once more.