Tottenham Hotspur are edging ever closer to appointing their new manager...

What's the word?

On Monday morning, the north London outfit announced that they had sacked Nuno Santo after just four months at the helm following a string of poor results on the pitch and fan backlash off it.

And it seems as if they have already found the Portuguese's successor in Antonio Conte, formerly of Chelsea and Inter Milan.

The 52-year-old Italian has been in London finalising terms over a contract, which he is expected to sign at some point today until the summer of 2023, according to Sky Sport Italy journalist Matteo Moretto, who tweeted:

"Tomorrow, Antonio Conte will sign for a year and a half with Tottenham."

This time, it's happening

Spurs have been here before, so you could forgive the fanbase for being a little apprehensive over the links to Conte.

Nuno's appointment at the end of June ended a lengthy and arduous process as the Lilywhites hierarchy searched for their next manager, having been dealt several blows to numerous candidates beforehand.

In that, the north London club held 'advanced talks' with the Italian but they collapsed over concerns from both parties, as per the Telegraph.

Conte wanted assurances over Harry Kane's future and financial backing, whilst Spurs wanted their next manager to commit to the development of youth talent.

So to see that he has once again held encouraging discussions with Fabio Paratici and co is a positive, of course, but the situation earlier in the summer will still be lingering around N17.

However, this time, is does appear to be a little different as reports suggest he's going to sign a contract at some point today, meaning an announcement can't be too far behind.

That has to be encouraging as Spurs return to action on Thursday night in the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they'll be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Vitesse, a result that certainly continued towards Nuno's fateful end.

In reaction to the news that Conte will be his likely successor, plenty of supporters flocked to social media to express their delight, as relayed by This is Futbol.

"Tears of joy" and "Can't wait for this" were just two of the many reactions that highlighted the mounting excitement around the club.

Therefore, this latest update should leave them absolutely relieved and buzzing heading into the rest of the week.

AND in other news, 119 touches, 100% dribbles: £26m-rated Spurs beast was Nuno's one shining light against United...