EXCLUSIVE: Brendan Rodgers could bring Tielemans and Maddison to Spurs as Levy battles board

Steve Kay

• Updated: 16 May 2023 13:54 BST
• 3 min read

There is a boardroom tussle at Tottenham between chairman Daniel Levy and executive director Donna-Maria Cullen over the potential appointment of Brendan Rodgers as the club’s new manager.

FootballTransfers understands that Cullen is pushing for the appointment of Rodgers, with the hope that the Northern Irishman can persuade his ex-Leicester City stars James Maddison and Youri Tielemans to move to Spurs with him.

However, we understand that Levy is against the hiring of Rodgers, who is without a job after being sacked as Leicester City manager last month.

This is an opinion shared by the majority of Spurs fans, but the prospect of Tielemans and Maddison arriving with Rodgers could help sway opinion.

Tielemans is available on a free transfer as his contract expires next month and he will not be penning a new deal. Maddison is also expected to leave in the summer, regardless of whether Leicester avoid relegation.

Usually in boardroom battles like this Levy emerges as the winner.

Levy is also understood to be talking to Eintracht Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner.

Glasner, who won the Europa League last season, is Levy’s first choice but talks have not developed much as of yet.

Levy also appreciates current interim boss Ryan Mason, mainly because he sees him as someone who is easy to work with and a company man.

Elsewhere in the Tottenham board, the desire is for a manager who knows the Premier League. Vincent Kompany was initially a top target but that ship has now sailed.

This has opened the door for Rodgers and it will be interesting to see how things develop at boardroom level in the coming weeks on the issue.

Tottenham has endured a chaotic season on and off the pitch, with the club failing to qualify for the Champions League and falling short in all cup competitions.

Antonio Conte was sacked in March after publicly criticising Levy and the club. His assistant Cristian Stellini initially took over as caretaker before he himself was relieved of his duties and replaced by Mason until the end of the campaign.