Ex- Real Madrid manager emerges as frontrunner for Spurs job

Tottenham will be looking to return to winning ways when they play London rivals Crystal Palace at home on Saturday.

Spurs currently find themselves in the midst of a four-game winless streak, extended most recently by a thrilling 4-3 loss against Liverpool on Sunday.

Another loss this weekend could see the Lilywhites drop to eighth place in the Premier League table.

The north London side sacked Antonio Conte in March following a run of poor results, and his successor Cristian Stellini was then dismissed last week after failing to improve things.

Ryan Mason was placed in charge of the Lilywhites after Stellini’s dismissal, with the former Hull City midfielder taking charge of the club on an interim basis for a second time.

The 31-year-old has had a tough start as interim manager though, so far overseeing a 2-2 draw against Manchester United and a late 4-3 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is therefore identifying targets to take the role permanently this summer, and he appears to have found a suitable candidate.

According to De Telegraaf, former Real Madrid Xabi Alonso has emerged as a frontrunner to become Spurs’ new manager.

Xabi Alonso is said to be one of the top targets for the Spurs job

The 41-year-old joined Bayer Leverkusen in October as manager after impressing whilst in charge of Real Sociedad’s B team.

As a young manager who will likely look to oversee a long-term project, Alonso fits the profile of boss that Spurs are looking for.

The Spaniard also mainly uses a three-defender formation which would suit Tottenham as they have wing-backs including Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, the latter of whom will return from a loan spell at Udinese this summer.

Alonso has also helped to develop a plethora of talents – including  Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Piero Hincapié – during his time in Germany.

The 41-year-old has his Leverkusen side sitting in sixth place in the Bundesliga table at present, and they also remain in contention to win the Europa League.

Alonso’s current contract runs until June 2024, although the Spaniard could prove easier to lure to north London than the likes of Julian Nagelsmann or Mauricio Pochettino.