Tottenham have decided to give Igor Tudor the chance to earn his place as long-term permanent manager, with the Croatian already believed to be among the first signings of the summer.
Lange says Tudor could remain with Spurs ‘for a long time’
Manager Johan Lange has defended Tottenham’s lack of activity in the final weeks of the winter transfer window, revealing that interim manager Tudor could earn the role permanently.
The former Juventus manager is used to mid-season arrivals and difficult positions, but will be without at least 11 players for Sunday’s visit to rivals Arsenal.
Tottenham player nears return from injury and could return to training with Spurs next week
He’s close to making a comeback.
“We interviewed several (tentative) candidates. Igor made a very strong impression on us in the interview,” Lange explained.
“If you come here on Monday and play on the weekend, you need to build relationships with the players right away.
“You need to join a club to build relationships, but of course you need to immediately assess the style of the club, and he has shown that with great success by joining that club, not just once but several times.
“That’s one of the reasons why we believe he’s the best candidate here right now, but also taking into account his reputation and career track record. Of course, if things go well, he could be here for a long time.”
Tudor has already named the Italian midfielder as his first signing for Spurs.
Spurs lost nine players to injury last month, but only signed Conor Gallagher and 19-year-old left-back Souza in the winter window.
“Personally, I believe that the new format in Europe has changed this dynamic a little bit,” Lange continued. “We have two very competitive games (in January) and the fact is that not only us but a lot of teams have too many injuries.
“(It) meant that in January we had very few players who could make a difference for us now or in the future.”
Tudor gives unseen Tottenham teenager another chance to impress in training ahead of Arsenal
The Croatian player is already making his mark.
However, it looks like things could change in the summer and they are very confident that Tudor can get the long-term job, which they have already set transfer targets for.
In fact, reports in Italy suggest Tudor is personally leading Tottenham’s bid to sign Roma attacking midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has 36 caps for Italy.
The 29-year-old has made nearly 250 appearances in Serie A for Roma but is nearing the end of his contract and reports say the Giallorossi are now rushing to enter into contract negotiations to avoid interest.
But the player is tempted, knowing a move to the Premier League could be the last big move of his career.
Pellegrini has made 17 appearances for Italy’s first team this season, as well as seven in the Europa League, scoring four goals.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to Newcastle, perhaps as a replacement for Sandro Tonali, who will soon return to Italy, but it appears Tudor’s Serie A knowledge could give Tottenham the upper hand.
