Sources: Forget Conte, Levy wants 'cheap and low maintenance' Tottenham manager after clause reveal
It is back to the drawing board and the original shortlist for Tottenham as hopes of sensationally landing Mauricio Pochettino evaporate.
Football Insider revealed on Saturday (29th May) that the club's pursuit of the Argentine is destined to end in failure as Paris Saint-Germain won't let him go and he won't force an exit.
A Spurs source has told Football Insider that Pochettino was always regarded as a long shot even though he fits the criteria outlined by chairman Daniel Levy.
In an open letter to supporters, Levy said the club were targeting a manager with a commitment to "free-flowing, attacking and entertaining" football while developing "young players from our academy alongside experienced talent".
There are other requirements not mentioned by the long-standing club chief that are also regarded as highly desirable by those at the top of the club.
A Spurs source has told Football Insider these include a manager who is "low maintenance" and would require "cheap or zero compensation" to lure him to north London.
That would appear to rule out someone like Antonio Conte, who is available after quitting Inter Milan.
The combustible Italian, 51, is every bit as demanding of his chairman or president as the recently-sacked Jose Mourinho and wants a board who will match his ambitions.
Spurs are not expected to be big spenders in the summer window and it is hard to imagine Levy keeping Conte happy with cautious and low-budget deals.
One manager who does fit the bill is Roberto Martinez, who held two rounds of talks with the Londoners before the Premier League season ended and spoke to them again last week.
Intriguingly, he has a clause in his Belgium contract - which expires next year - that allows him to leave this summer.