Tottenham's search for a new manager appears to be finally reaching its conclusion after news broke on Wednesday evening that they are in advanced talks with Paulo Fonseca over the vacant position.
The former Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk boss appears set to take the reigns in north London after undergoing advanced talks, and according to Sky Italy he had been earmarked by Spurs' incoming sporting director Fabio Paratici as his No.1 choice to take over.
It remains to be seen how the decision will go down with the Spurs faithful, but they will be desperately hoping the Portuguese 48-year-old can do better than his compatriot Jose Mourinho, who ironically is replacing Fonseca at Roma.
Mourinho is a far from popular figure at Spurs following his disastrous spell in charge in which he alienated a number of key players and was criticised for his defensive style of football.
And the supporters may not be best pleased to discover that Fonseca appears to be a huge fan of the self-proclaimed 'Special One'.
Speaking in an interview with The Athletic in December, Fonseca was asked about his inspirations and idols.
And he did not hesitate in naming Mourinho, saying: “When Jose Mourinho appeared, this new mentality appeared.
“Jose was so important because he left the country (after upsetting the odds and winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004) and had so much success. This changed the way people look at our coaches.”
Once it was announced that Mourinho would be replacing him at Roma, Fonseca also did not appear to hold any kind of grudge, and stated his belief that he is still a world-class manager despite his shocking record at Spurs.
He said: "Mourinho is a great coach, everyone knows that, and I am sure he will do a great job here."
Spurs' appointment of Fonseca is expected to be confirmed imminently, and there is not thought to be anything which would hold up an agreement.
It is a move which may be seen as underwhelming by some after the club were linked with some of the biggest names in world football.
Mauricio Pochettino was initially believed to be their first choice for a sensational return to north London, but despite the Argentinean reportedly being keen on a comeback, Paris Saint-Germain were unwilling to let him go.
It also seemed they were closing in on Antonio Conte for some time, but the ex-Chelsea man's demands proved too great for Daniel Levy and co, and talks eventually collapsed.
