Tottenham Hotspur are still looking to formally select their next managerial appointment and it's believed that Erik ten Hag is still in the running...

What's the word?

That's according to The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke, who claims the 51-year-old is 'a leading contender' for the Spurs job despite signing a new two-year contract at his current club, Ajax.

This ties in with information from Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

He suggested that the Dutchman did not reject an approach from the North London outfit after their attentions turned to him following setbacks over Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers.

Dream appointment?

Pitt-Brooke also states that the other names in the running are former RB Leipzig man Ralf Rangnick, current Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez and Graham Potter of Brighton.

Of all these candidates, it is easy to see why ten Hag would be a front-runner. He's certainly a mouth-watering prospect for what Levy is looking for - he could even be his dream hire.

The Guardian believe the Lilywhites chairman is on the lookout for an 'attack-minded' coach that has 'strong credentials in the development of young players.'

Almost as if they were looking for Mauricio Pochettino, mark two.

[snack-amp-story url= "https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-managerial-latest-update-transfer-rumours-gossip" title= "Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!"]

Ten Hag has just clinched his second Eredivisie title in Amsterdam, where he holds a mightily impressive 73.6% win rate since being appointed in December 2017.

His playing style has been described as 'Total Football 2.0' and takes inspiration from two huge influences on his coaching career, Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff.

That would certainly tick one box for Levy.

The 51-year-old has also seen the progression of many a young player, and eventually raking in huge profits for Ajax, as a result.

Frenkie de Jong (£65m to Barcelona), Matthijs de Ligt (£67.7m to Juventus) and Donny van de Beek (£35.7m to Man Utd) are just three prime examples, so it would be another tick next to ten Hag's name.

Furthermore, he has received glowing praise from Liverpool's title-winning boss Jurgen Klopp, who described the Dutchman as "one of the most exciting coaching talents in world football."

All in all, on the above evidence, it's no wonder that Spurs see the Ajax chief as their best candidate now.

He matches so many of Levy's requirements.

So if he can tempt ten Hag to swap the comforts of the Champions League-bound Dutch side for the faltering North Londoners, then he could well be onto a winner.

AND in other news, Forget Reguilon: £26m-rated Spurs lightweight who lost possession 21x betrayed Mason vs Villa...