It wasn't supposed to go like this. When Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy sacked Jose Mourinho on April 19, he surely envisaged a super coach leading Spurs into the Super League era - with the club having announced their intention to join the breakaway just a day earlier.
But just like the Super League plans, Levy's vision has gone up in smoke. Less than two months later, after failed moves for Julian Nagelsmann, Brendan Rodgers, Erik ten Hag, Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs look set to appoint their sixth choice to replace Mourinho in Paulo Fonseca.