Newcastle United’s Premier League rivals close in on major appointment

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly closing in on the appointment of a new manager as they look to bounce back from missing out on a place in Europe this season.

The North London outfit challenged alongside the likes of Newcastle United, Liverpool and Aston Villa for a place in one of UEFA’s three club competitions this season - but were left disappointed after they ended the campaign outside of the Premier League’s top seven.

That rounded off a challenging season for Spurs after they parted company with manager Antonio Conte in March before placing the Italian’s assistant Cristian Stellini in interim charge for the remainder of the campaign. However, a 6-1 hammering at the hands of Newcastle saw a further change with former Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason taking control for the final six games of the season.

The likes of former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann and ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino were among the many names to be linked with the vacancy but reports on Sunday evening have suggested Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is moving closer to a move to North London.

The Australian has enjoyed a successful two-year stay at Celtic Park, helping the Hoops a Premier League and League Cup double last season, before going one better and securing a domestic treble thanks to a Scottish Cup Final win against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday evening.

Speaking after his side’s win at Hampden Park, Postecoglou answered a question over his future, saying: “I understand all that, but I’m going to be a little bit selfish here. Not just for myself, but my family and the people around me have all worked really hard to enjoy this moment. As disappointing as that may be for people, that’s what I’m going to do. We’ve worked too hard, whether as players or managers, if I start talking about things that aren’t really important right now to me and the people around me, mate I’m just enjoying this. And I will enjoy it for as long as I can before people drag me away to talk about other things.”

Sunday evening brought widespread reports Spurs were set to make an official approach to speak to Postecoglou after he emerged as the leading contender, with the Telegraph stating the Scottish giants will demand compensation but will not stand in the Australian’s way if he ‘expresses a desire’ to accept an offer from the Premier League club.

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