Tottenham suffer two blows in matter of hours in search to replace Ange Postecoglou

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy could find himself tasked with finding a successor to Ange Postecoglou in the summer but there are questions over two contenders

Tottenham Hotspur’s search for their next manager has been dealt a blow with Bournemouth’s and Fulham’s owners both stressing the importance of their respective bosses. Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva have both been linked as potential successors to Ange Postecoglou, but Spurs will have a real battle on their hands.

Iraola’s Bournemouth and Silva’s Fulham faced off on Monday night at the Vitality Stadium. Antoine Semenyo’s goal inside the opening minute proved the difference, with the hosts climbing above their opponents into eighth place.

Bournemouth and Fulham are locked together on 48 points, 11 more than Postecoglou’s Spurs with six games remaining, Chairman Daniel Levy has yet to pull the trigger on sacking Postecoglou, but the former Celtic manager could find himself looking for a new job if he fails to lead his team to Europa League glory.

Iraola, who took over from Gary O’Neil in the summer of 2023, has insisted he is happy on the south coast. “I want to do my job the best I can. I don’t know how far we can go, where we will finish,” he said at the end of March, ahead of Bournemouth’s FA Cup elimination at the hands of Manchester City.

Now, according to BBC Sport, Bournemouth’s owner Bill Foley is on his way to England to open talks over a new deal for Iraola. The former Rayo Vallecano manager’s current deal runs until the end of next season, but there is said to be optimism he commits his longer-term future to the club.

READ MORE: Gary Lineker has Ange Postecoglou suspicion with Spurs boss told ‘take your medicine’READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou hasn’t been given enough support at Tottenham – but there’s no way back

Over in West London, Fulham boss Silva has been hailed by owner Tony Khan who wants him to remain with the club forever. The Portuguese, who previously spent time in charge of Hull City, Watford and Everton, led Fulham to the Championship title in 2022 and cemented the team’s status as a top-flight club.

Fulham finished 10th in their first season back in the top flight but then lost top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al-Hilal. They ended last season in 13th, albeit just two points outside the top half, and currently sit in ninth.

“We’re having a tremendous season,” Khan told BBC Radio 5 Live. “We have got a great team, we have a great coach with Marco Silva and we have a great squad,” Khan told BBC Radio London.

“We have so many great players, a great dressing room, these are really great people on and off the pitch. And we have the best fans. It is a really exciting time at Craven Cottage and at all our matches. The team has had a really great season and everyone is really proud of them and really looking forward to the run-in.”

He added: “Marco is a huge, huge asset to Fulham Football Club,” he added. “He is such an amazing person and he is so important to the football club.

“Marco has a great relationship with my father and myself, and we really love Marco and we want him to stay at Fulham Football Club forever. He is a huge part of what we have got going for the future and the present and he is a great man.”

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