Tottenham are reportedly looking into three names to succeed Antonio Conte this summer – and it seems they have learned the costs involved to appoint their No 1 target.

Italian boss Conte seems certain to step away after just a year and a half in the role. Taking over in November 2021, he has brought about a period of improvement for Spurs. However, the deal he signed at the time is due to expire at the end of this season.

Talks over an extension were held during the World Cup. And at the time, Tottenham were keen to nail down the Italian to a new and improved deal.

But since then, there has been a real shift in attitude towards keeping the Italian. And with Conte regularly dropping hints that he may not stick around, it seems a parting of ways now looks inevitable.

Indeed, the last couple of weeks has been critical to his likely departure. With supporters already concerned about the direction the club is heading in, seeing them crash out of two competitions in seven days appears to have caused irreparable damage.

First up, a weakened Spurs side were beaten by Sheffield United in the FA Cup. That reportedly infuriated Daniel Levy and the Spurs board, who felt the club had a great chance of winning the competition.

However, worse was to come as the lack of momentum in that game was carried into the next week of games. Defeat at Wolves was bad enough but their season took another nosedive in crashing out of the Champions League.

That came after a meak effort against AC Milan, with the defeat also leading to fresh claims Harry Kane could leave.

READ MORE: ‘Dour, drab’ Tottenham told to pray as Rio Ferdinand drops Harry Kane exit truth bomb

Tuchel reveals demands to replace Antonio Conte

As a result, it does appear highly likely that Conte will exit once the season is through.

However, he still hopes to lead Tottenham to a second successive top-four finish. That alone would look good on his CV and ensure he leaves Spurs with at least some credit in the bank.

Conte himself has spoken over the weekend of the tough task facing his side. And he claims there are at least four sides fighting for that one remaining place.

A win over Nottingham Forest though does keep Tottenham on course and they have a four-point buffer on Newcastle in fifth. The Magpies, though, do still have two matches in hand.

Whenever Conte departs, speculation over his future is now beginning to heat up.

And while Mauricio Pochettino is being tipped to return as manager, there remains some doubts amid claims a war is brewing behind the scenes on his appointment.

As an alternative, Spurs are also reportedly considering former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.

He has a lot of credit in the bank following his reign at Stamford Bridge, leading the Blues to Champions League glory. As well as speaking perfect English, he also still has a home in the capital.

And being currently out of work, his appointment would be seen as relatively straight forward.

However, reports claim he has one demand of the club before he considers stepping into the role. And he wants them to book a place in the Champions League again next season before he will lay out the rest of his demands to the club.

Ruben Amorim named as top Tottenham target

However, in the past 48 hours, a new name has seemingly entered the frame.

And in 38-year-old Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim, Tottenham are casting their eyes over a man regarded as one of European football’s elite upcoming coaches.

According to Corrieio da Manha, Spurs are hoping to lure Amorim to the Premier League. He, however, is also on PSG’s list of potential replacements to replace Christophe Galtier.

The report though claims that it is Tottenham leading the race. They will reportedly have to pay £17.7m (€20m) to buy him out of his contract at the Primeira Liga club.

That though will seemingly not be a problem for Spurs, who reportedly have Amorim as their No 1 target.

Eric Dier, meanwhile, is still hoping Tottenham can turn their season around under Conte by finishing in the top four.

“Obviously missing that last game (through suspension) definitely hurt,” Dier told SpursPlay.

“Those are the types of games you want to play in, but that’s football. It was nice for us to get back out there with a win and hopefully we can move on from here.

“We have to take the experience from last season and use it to our advantage.

“You know what the Premier League is like, they’ll be bumps along the way. But we’ve got to try and give everything for these 11 games. We’ve got to try and give everything as a squad and as a club.

“Yeah, obviously Wednesday (against AC Milan) was a huge disappointment. But at the same time it is a good motivation for us to push for that top four because those are the nights you want to be involved in football.”

READ MORE: Potential Conte exit crippling Tottenham with centre-back snare in danger of falling through

The article Next Tottenham boss: Tuchel reveals demands to replace Conte, but top target revealed as 38-year-old Portuguese maestro appeared first on Teamtalk.com.