BBC Journalist: Tottenham consider shock move to appoint ‘elite’ PL manager, not Frank or Silva
In the wake of Ange Postecoglou’s sacking, Tottenham Hotspur briefly turned their attention to Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe as a potential successor, according to recent reports. However, despite considering the highly regarded English coach, the North London club has since ruled out any possibility of pursuing Howe, with the move now viewed as overly ambitious and ultimately unfeasible.
Postecoglou’s tenure at Tottenham came to a crashing end after a disastrous Premier League campaign. The Greek-Australian head coach oversaw a historically poor season that saw Spurs finish 17th in the table—their lowest ever placement since the league’s inception—suffering 22 defeats in 38 games. Although Postecoglou managed to end the club’s 17-year trophy drought by clinching the UEFA Europa League, his domestic performance fell far below expectations, prompting chairman Daniel Levy to make the difficult decision to part ways with him.
In the immediate aftermath of Postecoglou’s departure, Tottenham set out to find a new manager capable of revitalizing their Premier League campaign and restoring pride to the club. One of the names seriously considered during the early stages of their search was Eddie Howe. Known for his tactical astuteness and transformative impact at Newcastle, Howe was seen as an “elite” candidate who could inject structure and long-term vision into Spurs’ dugout. However, as reported by BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel, any real pursuit of the Newcastle boss has since been “nipped in the bud.”
Sources close to the situation indicate that Tottenham viewed a move for Howe as “unlikely” from the outset. With Newcastle United securing qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League, Howe remains fully committed to the Magpies’ project, where he continues to enjoy strong backing from the ownership and support from the fanbase. Mokbel notes that the prospect of prying Howe away from a thriving project at St James’ Park was always a long shot and ultimately deemed impractical.
Howe’s coaching pedigree speaks for itself. Since taking charge of Newcastle in 2021, he has transformed the club from relegation contenders into a consistent top-half Premier League side. He guided the team to a solid mid-table finish in his first full season, followed by two Champions League qualification campaigns in three years—missing out narrowly in the one season they fell short by just eight points. Prior to his success on Tyneside, Howe also achieved remarkable feats at Bournemouth, steering the club from League Two obscurity to a top-ten finish in the Premier League.
Despite these credentials, Tottenham will now look elsewhere. Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has emerged as the frontrunner for the role and is currently the most strongly linked candidate. Frank, who has earned widespread praise for his work with the Bees, has kept them competitive in the top flight on a limited budget and is admired for his progressive footballing philosophy.
Fulham manager Marco Silva is another name being floated in connection with the Tottenham vacancy. However, the Portuguese coach has recently reiterated his commitment to the West London club, publicly affirming his intention to stay at Craven Cottage for the foreseeable future.
Levy now finds himself at a critical crossroads. With Postecoglou’s dismissal—despite his Europa League triumph—raising eyebrows across the footballing world, the next appointment must be a resounding success. Spurs’ hierarchy will be under immense pressure to select a manager capable not just of returning the club to the upper reaches of the Premier League, but also of delivering silverware. The next boss will be expected to justify Levy’s decision to part ways with a trophy-winning coach, and anything less could provoke further unrest among supporters already weary of instability.
As the managerial search continues, one thing is clear: Tottenham’s ambition remains high, but luring managers of Howe’s caliber away from stable, upward-trending projects is easier said than done.