Tottenham reportedly want £8m manager that Jose Mourinho raved about in 2020

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking at a move to raid Wolverhampton Wanderers and lure Nuno Espirito Santo to North London this summer – and Jose Mourinho’s verdict on his fellow Portuguese man from 2020 will surely excite supporters.

Mourinho is struggling at Spurs and despite delivering the London club into the Carabao Cup final, they are struggling to battle for the top four – sitting in a lowly seventh, which could be eighth should Everton ever win their game in hand.

A shortlist is said to have been drawn up ahead of the summer and The Express claim Spurs are seriously considering a move to raid Wolves and lure Santo to the club. It is believed it would cost £8million in compensation to get Santo away from Molineux.

Santo was on the bench as a goalkeeper for Porto when Mourinho guided the Portuguese side to the Champions League title in 2004 – and now, he could replace his old manager. The current Spurs boss raved about Santo just last year.

“I think he was a good keeper, but I think he’s a very good coach,” Mourinho told Football London in February 2020. “So I really think that he’s doing fantastic work. We are in a generation where sometimes coaches get jobs and nobody knows why.

“In this case it’s just about his work. Work and work and work. I hope the Wolves fans and board forgive me, but I think he has conditions for bigger and I hope one day the bigger comes because he is doing fantastic work.”

TBR’s view – Is Santo an improvement on Mourinho?

Against Manchester United, when United came from behind to beat Spurs 3-1 – Mourinho looked like he had ran out of ideas. Like he was unable to answer the questions that needed answering. It strikes similar to the last few weeks of his United tenure.

While there is a chance he could finally end Tottenham’s search for silverware, it will only be the Carabao Cup. If Spurs do improve and finish in the top four, as well as winning a trophy, then there is no doubt that it will be a very good season.

But anything other than that, and Spurs might look for a replacement. Santo has shown, at Wolves, that he can do it all. Style of play, hard working and everything else, he has it all – but is he an improvement on Mourinho? Right now, perhaps.