Spurs in talks with manager whose club's fans 'can't believe what they've seen'

Tottenham Hotspur manager target Arne Slot has received yet more plaudits amid links with the Spurs job.

Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan has spoken to Sky Sports about the Feyenoord manager and Tottenham target.

Over the last few days, speculation linking the Lilywhites and Slot has intensified massively.

Gianluca Di Marzio’s website recently said contacts between Spurs and the 44-year-old have been ‘more than positive’.

‘The Dutch manager is a serious candidate,’ added the report.

‘(He) could eventually beat the competition from the other profiles in the running.’

‘Not since the days of Johan Cruyff’

Van der Kraan has previously described Slot as “ultra-attacking” and “almost like a maniac”, via talkSPORT.

Now, the reporter spoke of how Feyenoord’s fans have been in disbelief over how good his football has been.

“He’s a really good manager and sometimes it can come fast and quick,” he said.

“I’ve followed Feyenoord for 40 years.

“Not since the days of Johan Cruyff at Ajax in the 1980s has there been a coach so attack-minded in the Dutch league.

“Cruyff only had a few disciples who followed him and one of them was Pep Guardiola.

“I would say Slot is a Guardiola-style manager based on everything I’ve seen over the past couple of years.

“The fans of Feyenoord can’t believe what they’ve seen over that time.”

However, Van der Kraan’s opinion over Slot’s immediate future isn’t quite so good for Spurs fans to hear.

“If I have to put my money on it,” he continued.

“I would say it is more likely to happen next year at which point the vacancy at Spurs will be taken.

“He’s not afraid of a challenge himself so he may go after it himself.

“Last time, when he was at AZ Alkmaar, he was approached by Feyenoord and the season wasn’t finished.

When AZ heard about it, they went out onto the training pitch and his previous club sacked him on the spot.

“It was the most traumatic incident in his career as a coach and he’s had his revenge.

“He’s taken Feyenoord to a title and a Europa Conference League final.

“But it has made him very careful to speak to Gary [Cotterill] about his talks with Tottenham.

“He simply can’t talk about the details as he doesn’t want the same situation to happen again.”

Van der Kraan has given an interesting insight into why Slot may be a bit hesitant over declaring his interest over the Spurs job.

Considering what allegedly happened to him at AZ, you can’t blame him for not wanting the same thing to happen again.

Nonetheless, you’d think that this summer is the best time for Slot to make a move, while his stock is at an all-time high.

A lot can change in football in a short space of time.

Oliver Glasner – another manager who has been linked with Tottenham – is a fine example of this.

Last year, he won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt and his stock was at an all-time high.

This season, things haven’t gone to plan, and he’s effectively being ditched at the end of the season.

This is despite his contract running until 2024.

We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks or months (hopefully the former rather than the latter).