It has to be, it just has to be. Conte is arguably the finest manager not in a post right now and boasts all the cut-throat winning mentality Spurs are crying out for.

He lifted three Serie A titles with Juventus, the Premier League trophy and FA Cup with Chelsea and most recently the Serie A title again, only this time with a Romelu Lukaku-inspired Inter.

His style is to deploy a 3-5-2 which would be a radical departure for Spurs, but in their stagnant state, that may be exactly what they require.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min’s stunning partnership of last season is yet to blossom again this term and both can be expected to start as dedicated strikers should Conte take the reins.

There’s a multiple league-winning manager available for free – what’s the catch? Conte is no shrinking violet, he is no stranger to confrontation.

He fell out with Diego Costa while at Chelsea in a move that hammered one of the final nails into his coffin at Stamford Bridge, and he left title-winning Inter after a row with the board over transfers.

Levy would be acquiring a powerhouse manager if Conte lands, but how the Italian boss forms bonds with experienced members of the Spurs core could make or break his potential tenure.

Paulo Fonseca

Fonseca appeared to be a dead-cert for the Spurs job in the summer only for the uber-attacking boss to be overlooked at the last moment for an altogether more cautious appointment in the shape of Nuno.

Fonseca has previously described his style. He said: “No, I don’t like playing deep and waiting for the counter-attack. It is not my style of play.

“I think [when we’ve had problems] many times, it hasn’t been because other teams created situations against us. It’s because we made mistakes, losing balls in the first phase of play.

“And I think we paid more dearly for those mistakes than is normal, and that has been our biggest problem. Because yes, this type of game that we play can be risky, but in the long run I believe it is successful.”

Ryan Mason

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Mason simply can’t be ruled out due to the fact that he looks immensely likely to take the reins once again as a caretaker manager.

He picked up the slack following Mourinho’s departure and remains part of the coaching staff in north London.

The homegrown hero didn’t show enough to muster a great deal of support for his permanent appointment, but he did rack up four victories in seven matches and if he is afforded a second chance to lead, Mason has another opportunity to impress.

If any potential deal for Conte blows up – which remains a possibility until he hoists a scarf above his head – Mason could find himself in charge for a couple of matches this week. Impressive displays in those encounters would bolster his credentials.

Weighing against Mason is the fact that Levy clearly wants to use this season to persuade Kane to stay onboard. Mason would need to produce a stunning season to convince Spurs’ stars that his project would be more attractive than elsewhere.

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