Levy should convince Julian Nagelsmann to leave Leipzig, capitalizing on the chance to bring the young mastermind to Tottenham before another club snaps him up.
While it might be premature to discuss Jose’s replacement, you can never count out the possibility of a swift, stealth-like managerial change, especially in modern football. Tottenham supporters will recall the unceremonious and abrupt nature of Mauricio Pochettion’s dismissal. Speculation of the prospective firing ramped up in the days before, but few thought the axe would fall so hastily. Even fewer foresaw Mourinho being officially named as his replacement less than 12 hours after Pochettino’s firing.
Obviously premeditated, Levy showed just how promptly a regime change can take place.
So if the opportunity presents itself, Levy should do precisely the same, this time with Mourinho on the receiving end.
Nagelsmann is an astute, brilliantly analytical individual who has exceeded all expectations in just five years of senior management. He was appointed manager of Hoffenheim in 2016, becoming the youngest manager, then just 28 years old, of a Bundesliga team.
Nagelsmann saved Hoffenheim from relegation before securing the club’s European qualification. Not a bad first few seasons as a manager, all before turning 30. Now 33, Nagelsmann is making waves around Europe for his management style and ability to get the most out of his players, while playing an exciting, enterprising, yet organized and defensively responsible brand of football.
Nagelsmann’s Leipzig defeated Tottenham in last season’s Champions League Round of 16, and has another enormously important aggregate to look forward to against Liverpool. He reminds me of a young Mourinho, who entered the scene at Porto with boundless verve, gusto, energy and innovation.
If Spurs don’t snap him up before the summer, another massive club eventually will. He’s destined to soar to epic managerial heights, probably with Europe’s most prestigious clubs. Just look at what he’s accomplished before turning 35.
There is, of course, an attached cautionary tale that comes with hiring a manager in his early 30’s. You might recall when, in 2012, Tottenham hired then 34-year-old André Villas-Boas. We all know how that experiment turned out, with the Portuguese manager lasting just short of 18 months.
Still though, if I were Levy, I’d be calling Nagelsmann off the hook to convince him that Tottenham is a project that will springboard his career to eminent heights. Yes, Tottenham has personnel issues, but bringing in a young, spirited and brilliant manager who, even at his tender age of 33, is touted as one of the world’s best, is exactly the extreme, yet calculated, course of action needed to alter completely the destructive, stagnant path we’re currently on.