Leeds United: Arne Slot update emerges amid Tottenham manager search after Elland Road snub
Arne Slot is a “firm outside contender” for the Tottenham job after rejecting the chance to take over at Leeds United, The Express reports.
The Dutchman was one of a number of candidates who the Whites tried and failed to convince to replace Jesse Marsch after the American was sacked on 6 February.
Slot, 44, didn’t want to leave Feyenoord at the time, just as Andoni Iraola couldn’t be prized from Rayo Vallecano and Carlos Corberan signed a new deal at West Brom.
Javi Gracia eventually arrived at Elland Road and is having a positive effect, but the club may be in line to face Slot next season as he is now in the frame to come in at Spurs, where Antonio Conte left his post on 26 March.
What might have been?
This prospect would have been far more galling for Leeds United had they not eventually landed Gracia, as the fortnight of fumbling one plan after another in the wake of Marsch’s departure looked to have hamstrung the club’s fight in the relegation battle.
Finally bringing in the Spaniard, who had been a long way down the list of priorities, has changed the picture at Elland Road in a big way.
He has the club as high as 13th in the Premier League, and while the relegation battle is far from over it will be a lot closer if a second successive victory in a relegation six-pointer can be picked up against Crystal Palace on Sunday (9 April).
Slot clearly has quality, and in most cases it was not that the Whites hierarchy were looking for poor options to come in at manager, but the terrible timing made the top choices unfeasible.
If he arrives in the Premier League it might add a bit to Leeds vs Spurs games for a while, assuming Gracia is able to finish the job in this campaign.
But if the current boss is successful in that most supporters will be feeling pretty satisfied with what they have.
In other Leeds United news, the decision has been made for the club to splash the cash this summer.