Tottenham have identified Rafael Benitez as a potential candidate to replace Jose Mourinho, according to the Daily Mail.

Since sacking Mourinho two weeks ago, Spurs have been looking for a new manager while Ryan Mason takes charge of the side on an interim basis until the end of the season.

Their search has been a difficult one so far, with reported target Julian Nagelsmann opting to join Bayern Munich last week, and Ajax manager Erik ten Hag extending his contract with the Dutch club last Friday, seemingly ruling him out of contention.

Now, it is claimed that Tottenham are considering Benitez as a possible option to take the manager's hotseat, whilst Ralf Rangnick and Massimiliano Allegri are also believed to be in the running.

 

What is Benitez, Rangnick and Allegri's pedigree?

Benitez has coached some of the best clubs in Europe over the past two decades, and has won plenty of major silverware along the way.

He triumphed in the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, whilst he also won two La Liga titles at Valencia and a Europa League trophy with Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Rangnick has split his time between management and taking on the role of sporting director at the clubs he has been at. He won the German Cup during his time at Schalke.

Allegri has also been mightily impressive. He has claimed six Serie A titles with AC Milan and Juventus, and won the Coppa Italia on four occasions.

What is Levy prioritising in Spurs' next manager?

Experience. 

At least, that seems to be the message being sent out. Benitez and Rangnick are both in their 60s, and have worked at the highest level for a number of years, either in the dugout or behind the scenes.

Allegri is younger at 53, but has coached two of Italy's biggest clubs and knows how to set up his side to battle for silverware.

On the other hand, Graham Potter and Eddie Howe are believed to only be outside bets for the Tottenham job, as they are yet to manage a major club. It appears that Daniel Levy wants a safe pair of hands who has succeeded before, rather than risking a younger manager who could fail when stepping up to coach a 'big six' team.

Who is currently the best option for Spurs?

The north London club have reportedly not given up hope of landing Brendan Rodgers, who would be an ideal candidate. 

This season, he has led Leicester to an FA Cup final and put the Foxes in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League, demonstrating his outstanding credentials.

However, if Spurs can't get him, then Allegri seems to be the best alternative available. The Italian has shown that he is a serial winner, as he led Juventus through a period of complete dominance in Serie A, and took them to a pair of Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017.

Tottenham want to get back into the top four and winning trophies - Allegri's track record suggests that he can deliver both of these things for the club.