Following the collapse of talks with Arne Slot, journalist Dean Jones has voiced his concerns about the managerial situation at Tottenham Hotspur, suggesting that the club’s financial limitations could hinder their ability to secure a top-tier manager.
Reports had indicated that Slot was on the verge of becoming Spurs’ next manager. He had even impressed during his initial interview with the club, where he was assured that star striker Harry Kane would not be sold and could be a key figure in the team’s rebuild.
However, negotiations suddenly broke down, with Slot confirming his commitment to Feyenoord this morning to everyone’s surprise.
Sky Sports revealed that the reason Spurs pulled out from the deal was because of the disagreement with Feyenoord over Arne Slot’s release clause.
Initially, it was suggested that appointing Slot would cost Spurs around £5 million in compensation. But during the talks, it emerged that the buyout clause would not come into effect until next summer.
Feyenoord insisted on a compensation fee of £10 million and an additional £5 million if Tottenham wanted to bring Slot’s backroom staff along. Feeling taken advantage of, Spurs made the decision to withdraw from the deal.
And Jones now claims that the fact that Spurs pulled out of the deal due to financial reason is a “big issue”.
Jones highlighted the financial aspect as a major issue for Tottenham, questioning whether the club would opt for a cheaper or currently unemployed manager due to financial constraints.
This could limit their options, as high-profile candidates like Ruben Amorim or Julian Nagelsmann would likely come with significant compensation fees.
Jones told GiveMeSport:
“The Slot turnaround is a big blow, and I can see why fans find it embarrassing. Everything has been positive to this point, and it felt like his direction for the club was a good fit, yet financially it seems to have been a step too far for Spurs. That was always going to be a potential problem over the final approach to this.
“This looks like the big issue now. Are we at the stage where Spurs will appoint someone cheap or currently unemployed?
“You look through potential candidates now, and Ruben Amorim and Julian Nagelsmann have big compensation fees attached to them. Even if Spurs were to look down the route of Marco Silva at Fulham, they would have to pay up to get him and his staff, same with Thomas Frank at Brentford. Roberto De Zerbi surely won’t be leaving Brighton for them at this moment.
“If you start to whittle it down in that sense, you can see the funnel effect and how you are suddenly left with a shorter list of names. I know Spurs fans that wonder about the chances of Brendan Rodgers or Graham Potter coming in but up to this point, I have been told that has been a non-starter, so again, that has looked very unlikely. It might be the case that Spurs now have to go and explore that avenue, but everything I have heard makes me think both would take a lot of negotiating and persuading.
“Ange Postecoglou and Luis Enrique are two other options that get spoken about. They’re both very different in terms of their experience and personality, and what you start to wonder is how are Spurs looking to build here. What is the identity of the team going to be?”
As Tottenham enter the summer without a permanent manager in place, concerns grow among fans about the club’s stability and future.
The coming weeks will be crucial as Spurs continue their search for a suitable candidate to lead the team forward.
