Report: Tottenham put 55-year-old manager on their wish-list in case Antonio Conte leaves, he says Heung-Min Son is ‘fantastic’

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Journalist Rudy Galetti claims Tottenham Hotspur have put Benfica manager Roger Schmidt on their wish-list in case Antonio Conte leaves – a boss who once said Heung-Min Son is ‘fantastic’.

Schmidt has just guided Benfica through the group stage of the Champions League, topping their group above Paris Saint-Germain.

The 55-year-old has enjoyed spells at top clubs around Europe, including RB Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen and PSV.

Now, the German boss is being linked with a possible move to Spurs in the event that Conte leaves at the end of the season.

Tottenham put schmidt on wish-list

Conte’s current Tottenham deal runs until the end of the season but the north Londoners do have the option to extend it by a year, according to the Telegraph.

The outlet notes that Spurs will commence contract talks with the Italian during the World Cup.

But it seems that they are making plans just in case Conte decides to leave north London at the end of the season.

Writing in his latest blog post, Galetti claims Conte is set to meet with the Tottenham hierarchy over the coming weeks.

They will apparently discuss their plans for the January transfer window, as well as the possibility of renewing Conte’s deal.

But Tottenham are looking around at other options as they don’t want to be caught unprepared if the Italian leaves.

And Galetti claims that Schmidt would be the ‘ideal profile’ for a potential Conte replacement.

Schmidt says Son is ‘fantastic’

Schmidt faced off against Tottenham in the Champions League during his time with Leverkusen.

The German boss came up against Mauricio Pochettino’s side back in 2016 and was full of praise for Heung-Min Son at the time.

“I think that Heung-Min is a fantastic player for this style of football, for pressing,” Schmidt told the Independent.

“Because he has a big heart, and all the things you need for pressing: intelligence, ability to read the match and read situations.

“He has good anticipation for passes of the opposing team, and he can win the pass. He has very good physical condition. After winning the ball he can transition to the offensive, then he can use his speed to score.”

Schmidt is renowned for a high-energy style of football, similar to many German coaches, including Jurgen Klopp.

It seems sensible that Spurs are looking at possible replacements for Conte in case he leaves. They do not want a repeat of the situation before they appointed Nuno Espirito Santo last year, with the search for a new boss dragging out.

But they should be doing everything within their power to ensure Conte remains at the club. The Italian only arrived in north London just over a year ago and despite groans over his style of football, he has delivered excellent results.