Antonio Conte has emerged as the most likely candidate to take the vacant Tottenham Hotspur job...
What's the word?
That's according to football.london's Alasdair Gold, who delivered a fresh update on the situation to Twitter on Wednesday evening, where he claimed:
"Now looking likely that Antonio Conte will become the next Tottenham boss. Spurs pushed hard to try to bring Mauricio Pochettino back but PSG have fought hard to keep him."
There are a few issues to iron out first, however.
It is thought that the 51-year-old, who left Inter Milan after winning their first Serie A title last week, wants reassurances that Harry Kane will not be sold this summer - a player he has waxed lyrical about in the past.
"For me, Kane, now, is one of the best strikers in the world. If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane. He is a complete striker," he told the Guardian.
Whilst Spurs are expected to appoint a new sporting director in Fabio Paratici, who Conte worked with at Juventus for many seasons, as per The Times.
A strict approach
Many in North London will know Conte well. He enjoyed a very successful spell at Chelsea, cleaning up Jose Mourinho's mess by delivering a Premier League title in his first season before clinching the FA Cup a year later.
The Italian will give Spurs a culture shock, that's for sure. And that's not just because he's a nine-time trophy winner.
According to The Athletic, Mourinho sucked the life out of the club, with players said to be left feeling bored and untested by his training regime and his defensive tactics left them feeling incapable of attacking.
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Furthermore, Gold believes that the squad's fitness levels were a major source of concern under the Portuguese too and was one reason why they made so many mistakes on the pitch. They were widely regarded as one of the fittest in the English top-flight when Mauricio Pochettino was at the helm.
This is something that Conte would fix, instantly.
He's a tough character who will offer Spurs a strict approach on the training ground.
The Telegraph claim that the 51-year-old was 'very strict' on nutrition, limiting the options available to the players in the club's training ground canteen, whilst he also made sure that the squad were together on the evening before every match.
This is something that was once emphasised by legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who in the past has also lauded Conte as a "genius."
"He needed only one speech, with many simple words, to conquer both me and Juventus," the former Juventus star once claimed (via the Guardian).
"He had fire running through his veins and he moved like a viper. ‘This squad, dear boys, is coming off two consecutive seventh-place finishes. It’s crazy. It’s shocking. I am not here for this, so it’s time to stop being so c**p.'
"When Conte speaks, his words assault you,” Pirlo added. "They crash through the doors of your mind. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve said: 'Hell, Conte said something really spot-on again today.'"
If the current Spurs squad felt bored and appeared laborious under Mourinho, then they will be rocked by the likely appointment of Conte.
Overall, the Premier League winner could be exactly what the Lilywhites need. It's certainly a mouthwatering prospect already.
AND in other news, Journalist rules Mauricio Pochettino out of Spurs return...