Tottenham have already approached Frank de Boer about the vacant manager's position at White Hart Lane; more revelations about Andre Villas-Boas' tenure; and Iker Casillas could be set for a stint in the Premier League - here are the main stories making headlines in today's newspapers.
- Eurosport - Ajax manager Frank de Boer (Reuters)
De Boer wanted by Spurs: Frank de Boer is top of Tottenham's wanted list to become their next manager, reports the Daily Mirror. And the London club have already made discreet enquiries to sound out the Dutchman following the departure of Andre Villas-Boas on Monday. The paper claims Spurs director of football Franco Baldini has identified the Ajax boss as "the perfect fit to develop young players, play stylish football and show a glittering CV". It adds that chairman Daniel Levy is ready to give caretaker manager Tim Sherwood "a proper crack at the job", although De Boer remains the club's preferred big-name appointment. The paper also points out that Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp is De Boer's assistant in Amsterdam, and it remains to be seen whether he would be part of any potential set-up at White Hart Lane.
Paper Round's view: De Boer certainly has the credentials on paper to lift Spurs out of their AVB-shaped fug; he has, after all, won the Champions League and reached a World Cup final as a player. He has also won the Dutch Eredivisie title with Ajax as a manager, although so too has Steve McClaren, while former Spurs boss Martin Jol went mighty close with Ajax the same year McClaren's FC Twente won it. So it's safe to say that success in the Netherlands does not necessarily give a manager the tools to succeed in the Premier League. And of course, given De Boer's standing at Ajax, they would surely be loath to let him go, while he has already shown his loyalty to the club by spurning the advances of Liverpool in the past. Watch this space.
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AVB didn't approve of summer signings: The inquest into the demise of Andre Villas-Boas continues apace, with the Daily Mail claiming that the Portuguese boss did not approve of four of Tottenham's seven summer signings. The report says that Villas-Boas asked chairman Daniel Levy not to buy Erik Lamela, Nacer Chadli, Vlad Chiriches and Christian Eriksen, a quartet who cost the club £56 million. His judgement was overruled. The paper also claims that AVB asked Levy to sanction the purchases of Hulk, Joao Moutinho and David Villa as he planned for life without Gareth Bale, although none of that trio arrived at White Hart Lane. He also wanted Willian, who ended up signing for Chelsea.
Paper Round's view: The more we learn about the rift that existed between Villas-Boas and Levy, the more it becomes clear that the manager was doomed. The pair's relationship was far too sour to ever work and with AVB having been so undermined, it's difficult to imagine he could have stayed for much longer, even if results had not been so poor by the end of his term.
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Casillas touted for Prem switch: Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas could be set to grace the Premier League after having been touted to Manchester City and Arsenal by the Real Madrid ace's agents, reports the Daily Mirror. The 32-year-old has lost his automatic starting place at the Bernabeu and is worried his lack of playing time could cost him his World Cup spot. A move to the Premier League is thought to be able to secure him a trip to Brazil.
Paper Round's view: If Manuel Pellegrini really has lost faith in Joe Hart at Manchester City, then Casillas could well be exactly what he is after. Richly experienced, highly decorated and a proven winner, he may well be the man to solve City's goalkeeping 'crisis'. As for Arsenal, a move to the Emirates is far less likely - Wojciech Szczesny has just signed a new deal and is in the form of his life, and Casillas is hardly going to move to sit on a bench.
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Chelsea players unsettled by Mourinho: The Daily Telegraph reports that Jose Mourinho's constant rotation policy has unsettled members of the Chelsea squad as players struggle to find consistent form. The report states: "There are fears before the crucial Premier League match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night that Mourinho is yet to work out his best side." His chopping and changing has left "a number of players unsure about their futures, as they are made to fret about their places on a game-by-game basis".
Paper Round's view: It would be interesting to find out who the unsettled players are, although we can assume their number do not include Petr Cech, Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry and Ramires, who have started every Premier League game under Mourinho. However, the rest of the squad have all dipped in and out this season, and the finger of unsettledness could be pointing to any one of them.
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