Heitinga agent drops major Thomas Frank sack bombshell with big admission on Tottenham clause | OneFootball

John Heitinga’s agent has explained all on his client’s future at Tottenham Hotspur, revealing what will happen to the Dutchman in the event of Thomas Frank’s sacking, while TEAMtalk sources can reveal all on an impressive young coach with an incredible track record who is now very much in Spurs’ thinking regarding a successor.

The 52-year-old Tottenham manager has had a hard time of things since stepping into the Spurs hotseat, winning just 12 of his 33 matches at the helm so far and having recently overseen a run that witnessed a disappointing six losses in 12 games.

With Saturday’s woeful 2-1 home loss to West Ham seemingly putting Frank on the cusp of the sack, and with our correspondent, Fraser Fletcher making it clear that Spurs were scanning the market over a would-be replacement, the manager did at least buy himself a little time and good will off the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League this week.

With one round of fixtures to go in the group stages, that puts Spurs in a strong position to make the knockout rounds of the competition, and a positive result away to Eintracht Frankfurt on January 28 should secure their progress.

In light of Spurs’ recent struggles, the north London club did recently bring in Dutch coach Heitinga to give Frank another voice and aid the Dane through his struggles.

However, many have wondered what would become of the 42-year-old, who had a spell in charge of Ajax earlier this season, if Frank gets the chop, with speculation abound that his time in N17 could be short-lived.

Appearing as a guest on Dutch TV, though, Heitinga’s agent insists his client’s future is not intrinsically linked to that of Frank’s, denying he has a clause that protects him from also getting the bullet.

Asked what happens if Frank is sacked, Rob Jansen jokingly told Voetbol Zone: “Then clause 12.2 comes into effect (a joke). But it doesn’t exist. I don’t expect the manager to be fired.”

Presenter Michel van Egmond then asked: “Why not? They’re all singing ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’. There’s a pretty good chance he’ll be fired if he loses again.”

Interjecting, Wim Kieft asked: “But there’s no clause?”

Jansen then replied with a blunt: “No.”

Keift then added: “Oh, of course there is. Come on, man. You’re not some market trader, are you?”

Explaining in more detail, Jansen added: “There’s no clause in it [his deal at Spurs]. It has nothing to do with each other.”

Van Egmond then asked if Heitinga could be kicked out if Tottenham sack Frank, to which Jansen responded: “That’s not inconceivable.”

Van Egmond then joked: “What a terrible agent Heitinga has.”

Kieft concluded by saying: “I’m a bit speechless.”

Heitinga’s Tottenham role explained as Farioli is linked

While Jansen has insisted that Heitinga’s future is not related to Frank’s and will likely be judged independently should the Dane be removed from his role, it is worth looking into the school of thought that suggests the former could be considered an interim option for Spurs over the remainder of the season.

Indeed, that is a theory floated by David Ornstein should Frank suffer the axe at Spurs.

However, Ornstein also insists that those in power at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are desperate for Frank to succeed and his removal of manager midway through the season would only be seen as a last resort.

To that end, Frank, while still very much under pressure, does seem to be safe from the immediate sack any time soon.

Nonetheless, sources have told Fletcher that the club are doing their due diligence on a number of prospective replacements, and we can confirm that one name in particular has become of major interest to the Tottenham hierarchy: Francesco Farioli.

The 36-year-old Italian tactician, currently steering FC Porto through an incredible Primeira Liga campaign, is emerging as a hot commodity on the managerial market.

With his innovative approach blending high-pressing football and data-driven strategies, Farioli has transformed Porto into a formidable force, challenging Benfica and Sporting CP for domestic supremacy off the back of an 86% win percentage record.

Sources state that Farioli’s impressive track record has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs.

As a result, sources have now confirmed to our correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, that Tottenham have placed Farioli very high on their shortlist as they explore alternatives to Frank.

Interestingly, sources also confirm that Farioli was also on Tottenham’s radar before they appointed Frank. But Spurs aren’t alone in being admirers, with at least two more Premier League clubs in the mix, as he emerges as one of the most in-demand coaches in Europe.

Latest Tottenham news: Huge Van de Ven price set; Spanish second-tier defender linked

Meanwhile, Tottenham are pushing to tie Micky van de Ven down to a new, improved contract, but as those negotiations falter, they have slapped a huge price tag on his head in an effort to deter the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool; both of whom have been linked with a move.

On the incoming front, Spurs would both love to sign a coveted Premier League star, though a report now claims Liverpool are in pole position to snap him up in a huge £75m deal.

Finally, surprise reports claim Spurs have added a second-tier player in Spain to their shortlist as a potential replacement for Radu Dragusin