Tottenham Hotspur have 'definitely' looked at Marcelo Gallardo as a potential option to replace Antonio Conte, according to Alasdair Gold.
What's the latest on Tottenham's manager search?
In the last fortnight, names linked with the Spurs managerial position have been in no short supply, with an array of coaches both in and out of work emerging as contenders.
Chairman Daniel Levy may already have his ideal candidates and recent reports suggest that the likes of Arne Slot (Feyenoord) now stand a real chance of succeeding Antonio Conte.
Beforehand, former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino had been tipped as a hot contender, with reliable news outlets indicating he would be very open to talks with Spurs.
Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane and even Brendan Rodgers, despite his disastrous final season at ex-club Leicester City, are also in the running. Meanwhile, currently employed tacticians like Eintracht Frankfurt's Oliver Glasner and Brentford's Thomas Frank are said to have admirers at Tottenham.
Their next manager after Conte comes as Levy's most crucial decision of this year and he will be eager to avoid an embarrassing repeat of Tottenham's 72-day search for Jose Mourinho's replacement in 2021.
Now, reliable reporter Gold has suggested that a new name has been looked at in former River Plate boss Gallardo – who has also attracted interest from Chelsea.
While the 47-year-old isn't a 'leading candidate' at this stage, Gold also wouldn't rule out a move for him entirely.
The journalist explained in a football.london Q&A:
"I wouldn't rule out Marcelo Gallardo entirely but I think he'd be an outlier in the running. For one reason or another he hasn't been linked with a move to the Premier League too much, or at least he wasn't until there was some suggestions from Brazil about him being a potential Chelsea candidate.
"I think he's one Spurs have definitely looked at but I don't get the impression he's a leading candidate at this stage. As with Nuno in 2021 though, who knows what can happen to the order of candidates as others fall away."
What would Gallardo bring to Spurs?
The South American has won trophies galore from his spells at both Club Nacional and River Plate – boasting a grand total of 10 pieces of silverware across the Atlantic.
For Spurs supporters who wish to see the return of possession-based, forward-thinking football – Gallardo could be the manager for them as he encourages a 4-3-3 attacking formation similar to Pochettino.
His status as a free agent comes as yet another reason to consider moving for Gallardo, and if their search continues to drag on, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see him become a more solid option.
