Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper reportedly has admirers within Tottenham Hotspur's ranks as the Lilywhites make contingency plans in case of Antonio Conte's possible departure.
The Italian is only under contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until the end of the season, and little progress has been made in efforts to tie him down for longer.
Conte led Tottenham back into the Champions League during the 2021-22 campaign, but the Premier League and Serie A title-winner has not been able to snap Spurs' miserable trophyless streak.
Still without a piece of silverware since the 2007-08 EFL Cup, Spurs were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fifth round for the fourth year running on Wednesday, as Championship side Sheffield United ran out 1-0 winners at Bramall Lane - a game that Cristian Stellini oversaw while Conte continued his recovery from gallbladder surgery.
The Lilywhites also have a 1-0 deficit to reverse against AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League, and a 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League at the weekend leaves them at risk of dropping out of the top four.
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Conte's side are clinging on to the fourth and final Champions League spot in the table, but Liverpool are only three points behind with a game in hand, while Newcastle United are four points adrift having played two fewer games.
According to the Daily Mail, there is a growing expectation that Conte will leave Tottenham when his contract runs out at the end of the season, and Tottenham chiefs have taken a liking to Forest boss Cooper.
The 43-year-old took over as Tricky Trees manager in September 2021 after leaving Swansea City, and he led the club back to the Premier League via the playoffs several months later.
Having overseen an unprecedented summer of spending at the City Ground, Cooper's inflated squad initially struggled to gel, winning just one of their first 11 matches back in the top division.
However, thanks to a nine-game unbeaten run on home soil, Forest have since surged away from the dotted line and sit 14th in the standings - four points clear of the relegation places.
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Cooper, who previously served as a youth team manager for England and Liverpool, has won 37, drawn 19 and lost 21 of his 77 games in charge of Forest, who rewarded him with a new contract until 2025 back in November.
Regarding Conte's contract situation, the report adds that Spurs can trigger a 12-month extension to keep the 53-year-old until 2024, but there is little willingness from both sides to activate that clause.
All parties supposedly believe that a departure at the end of the season would be the best move, with Conte keen to return to his homeland permanently amid a challenging year off the field, having also lost good friend Gianluca Vialli.
As well as Cooper, Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner and Mauricio Pochettino are candidates to replace Conte, but members of the Spurs hierarchy would need persuading to welcome the latter back for a second spell in charge.
Conte is expected to be back in charge for Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg with AC Milan, having passed control of the reins to Stellini during his continued recovery.
Ben Knapton
