Arne Slot responds to Tottenham Hotspur speculation

By Ben Sully | 19 May 2023

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot refuses to be drawn on speculation linking him with the vacant manager's job at Tottenham Hotspur.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has refused to be drawn on speculation linking him with the Tottenham Hotspur manager's job.

Spurs are still searching for a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, who was relieved of his duties as Tottenham boss in March.

The likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Xabi Alonso have been linked with the position, but the pair are no longer in the running for the job.

Slot has emerged as one of the favourites, with Spurs making progress in talks with the Feyenoord boss.

Following the latest developments, Slot was asked about the speculation ahead of Sunday's Eredivisie fixture with Emmen.

Feyenoord coach Arne Slot on April 20, 2023 © Reuters

"We're here for next Sunday's game," told reporters. "I'm not here to talk about my future. That could mean that English journalists are leaving with their tails between their legs.

"You'll get the same response from me as your colleague. I'm here for Sunday's game, which we are taking very seriously.

"So you won't get a response from me on that matter. It's going to be a very boring press conference."

The Feyenoord boss went on to add: "I'm under a huge magnifying glass in everything I say about this subject.

"So I choose to say as little as possible again... when it comes to new clubs there's a huge scale in every word I use, so I try not to talk about it until I can say something about it."

Feyenoord manager Arne Slot pictured on November 3, 2022 © Reuters

After being appointed Feyenoord boss ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, Slot guided the Dutch side to the Europa Conference League final where they were subsequently beaten by Roma.

Slot fell just short of clinching silverware in his first season in charge, but he has been able to clinch a trophy this term, leading Feyenoord to their first Eredivisie title since the 2016-17 campaign.

If Tottenham decide to appoint the 44-year-old as their new manager then they may have to pay around £6m in compensation to Feyenoord.

Former Spain boss Luis Enrique, who was previously linked with the Chelsea job, is also believed to be among the frontrunners for the Tottenham vacancy.