Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with an extraordinary return to Tottenham but such a move would likely require Spurs to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season
16:48, 12 Feb 2026Updated 17:07, 12 Feb 2026
Robbie Keane has emerged as a contender for the Tottenham job(Image: Getty Images)
Tottenham could appoint an interim head coach next week in order to try and engineer a stunning return for Mauricio Pochettino in the summer – but former Spurs striker Robbie Keane will not consider such a role.
The north London outfit are understood to be considering their options after parting company with Thomas Frank on Wednesday. The Dane joined Spurs from Brentford back in the summer but failed to live up to expectations in the Premier League and leaves with the club languishing just two places and five points above the relegation zone after winning seven games all season.
Pochettino has emerged as the favourite for the position, however, a potential return for the Argentine is complicated by his current role with the USA national team.
Appointing an interim manager until the end of the season before pursuing Pochettino after the World Cup this summer is an option. But that would all but rule out a move for Keane, who has impressed as the head coach of Ferencvaros in Hungary.
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The Telegraph report that the former Tottenham and Republic of Ireland striker has been discussed by the club as they decide their next steps, with a desire to have a new man in place by Monday.
They add that Keane would be interested in the permanent Tottenham job, but he would not quit Hungary to return to England in a caretaker capacity. That news will come as a blow amid further claims that the club would like to go down the external route if they do decide to proceed with an interim appointment before making a play for Pochettino.
(Image: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Keane, 45, signed a contact extension with Ferencvaros back in December after guiding them to the Hungarian title last term. He spent eight years at Tottenham across two spells as a player and would be an attractive option to step in given the success he has enjoyed with Ferencvaros.
Another name in the frame to succeed Frank alongside Keane and Pochettino is the former Brighton boss, Roberto De Zerbi. He is unattached after leaving Marseille earlier this week, though it remains to be seen if he is ready to jump straight back into work.
The Italian has also been touted as a contender for the Manchester United job, with Tottenham’s domestic rivals planning to appoint a new head coach in the summer.
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