A new candidate could emerge as Tottenham manager hunt drags on

As Tottenham’s manager hunt drags on, another candidate has reportedly popped out of the woodwork, former River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo. 

I can only count to 60, so I’ve lost track of what day the Tottenham manager hunt is currently on. Though, by all other accounts, we’ve entered Day 67, just five short of the record-breaking summer of 2021.

Gallardo is the latest name to appear, seemingly out of nowhere. The Gallardo link is being reported by Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel, who says the 47-year-old is on Daniel Levy’s radar.

While Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is the clear frontrunner in Tottenham’s pursuit, Gallardo fits the bill in a few ways. He’s 47 years old, so not quite the spring chicken Levy promised, but not a geriatric old geezer either.

Gallardo coached River Plate for over eight years, ending his tenure on Dec. 31, 2022. He won 14 trophies while coaching the Argentine club, including seven local titles and seven international trophies.

He also won 14 trophies during his playing career for them and is lionized by a large portion of River Plate supporters. A statue was recently erected in his honour, fitted with a controversial swollen member. Sources say it was purposefully enlarged. If that’s not a glowing tribute, I don’t know what is.

If you thought Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue was appalling, wait until you see Gallardo’s. Although I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

And while you might want to take the Daily Mail’s expertise with a heaping pile of salt, Gallardo is, like most candidates, known for instilling a high-pressing, expansive, and entertaining brand of football.

He’s currently out of work, so Spurs won’t have to pay any release clause, thereby saving Levy a bundle of cash. And we all know how much the chairman will appreciate saving a wad of dosh.

The story has yet to develop and might not if negotiations with Postecoglou go well.

However, if the summer of 2021 is anything to go by, we’re probably in for more infuriating twists and turns, with countless other manager names being pulled from a bottomless top hat.