Tottenham Hotspur's search for their next manager has taken a massive twist this weekend...

What's the word?

The North London outfit appeared to be closing in on the appointment of Antonio Conte after the Guardian revealed the two parties had held positive talks on Thursday.

It had been claimed that there was confidence from within the club's hierarchy that the 51-year-old would end their arduous seven-week hunt for Jose Mourinho's successor.

However, in a shock new twist, reports from the Telegraph suggested that the Italian was stalling over multiple doubts and that Spurs could not match his ambition financially.

Fabrizio Romano has since added fuel to the fire with a further update on the situation, he wrote on Twitter:

"Antonio Conte has not changed his mind about Tottenham in the last 24 hours, after Spurs were trying to find a solution to appoint him also yesterday afternoon. Not even Fabio Paratici’s imminent agreement to become new Tottenham director of football convinced Conte."

Back at square one

This surprise development will not only have the Lilywhites faithful reeling as they've just missed out on a nine-time trophy winner, with proven experience in the Premier League, but it should also leave them absolutely worried.

It effectively leaves Daniel Levy and the club back at square one.

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They are no closer to finding their next boss and it merely puts another cross against another name when looking like their top candidate.

Early in the process, Julian Naglesmann was identified as Levy's first-choice candidate. He opted to join Bayern Munich. Then it was Brendan Rodgers. He played down reports instantly, whilst there were concerns over how much it would take to lure him away, as per The Sun.

Now, a move for Conte has collapsed when it seemed on the brink of happening.

The European Championships start next week, and Levy was said to be wanting a manager in place by then. This latest update sets them back further and it seems rather unlikely that'll happen now.

It means Spurs will be playing catch-up when it comes to their transfer business and their pre-season plans. The supporters in N17 must be hugely worried by these developments.

AND in other news, 3 signings, Kane stays: How Spurs' XI could look in 2021/22...