Tottenham Hotspur have a massive decision to make with their manager in the coming days, and the sooner they come to a final conclusion on Ange Postecoglou's future, the sooner Spurs can go ahead with signing players to fortify their squad before the 2025/26 Champions League campaign.
Postecoglou hasn't quite guaranteed his job safety by winning the Europa League, but he has made his future what is essentially a 50/50 shot that is pretty much too close to call either way at this stage. And with ringing endorsements from key players like Lucas Bergvall, Big Ange has momentum on his side heading into Daniel Levy's most important decision of the summer.
If Tottenham were to part ways with Postecoglou, though, they suddenly have more options worth pursuing. Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini just resigned after a decade of turning La Dea into a consistent Champions League side, and now there's another name for Spurs to monitor from Serie A.
This could be Fabio Paratici's secret pick for Tottenham
According to Fabrizio Romano, Raffaele Palladino has resigned from Fiorentina after a great season for the Viola, who finished sixth in Serie A ahead of the likes of AC Milan and Lazio to finally get back to the Europa League. Palladino progressed the fine work Vincenzo Italiano set for him in Firenze, and he has to be one of the best up-and-coming coaches on the market.
Palladino is a lot better than some of the up-and-comers Tottenham are looking at in the Premier League, and he's certainly better than "candidates" like Scott Parker. There's been a belief that Palladino could be eyeing one of the big jobs in Serie A, such as champions Napoli, but that may be off the table with Antonio Conte reportedly having a good meeting with Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Fiorentina had several big breakout stars in the 2024/25 season under Palladino, who only spent one year in Florence after leading Monza to initial success in Serie A. Monza, by the way, completely fell apart without the young coach this season. Moise Kean, Dodo, Robin Gosens, and David de Gea were all among the best players in Serie A this season, as Palladino coaxed late-career renaissances and breakouts from frustrating young talents alike.
That dual ability could appeal to Tottenham. Palladino wouldn't leave his job so suddenly after one great season with Europa League football in a historic city if he didn't think he'd get a better gig, and Tottenham could be a ridiculously good landing spot and a marriage that many fans didn't see coming. Just 41 years old, Palladino looks like the best of the coaches angling to be the future of Italian football, and it wouldn't be surprising if Paratici has him high on his list now if he were to return as Tottenham sporting director.