DAVID MOYES last night emerged as the bookies’ favourite to become Tottenham Hotspur’s next manager, should Harry Redknapp quit White Hart Lane today.
Speculation has grown that Redknapp is set to leave the North London club after nearly four years in charge, following talks yesterday with chairman Daniel Levy.
If the 65-year-old parts company with the club he guided to fourth place in the Premier League last season, Moyes is tipped by bookies to be one of Levy’s main contenders to replace him.
Most bookmakers had the Everton boss listed as favourite last night; ahead of former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, ex-England boss Fabio Capello and Wigan Athletic’s in-demand Roberto Martinez.
However, the ECHO understands that the situation is not nearly as clear-cut, with some sources close to the unfolding events unconvinced Moyes would fit the profile to replace Redknapp, and the Scot also thought to be reluctant to walk away from Goodison Park.
Rumours have been spreading about Redknapp’s future since the end of the season, with reports suggesting that relationships between him and Levy have become strained over contract negotiations.
The former Portsmouth manager’s current deal expires next summer and he has previously made it clear that he would like to be offered a longer agreement.
Moyes’ contract also expires in 12 months, and although he has met with chairman Bill Kenwright since the end of the season, there was no progress made in agreeing terms for a new deal.
Instead the talks were pre-planned discussions for the Blues boss to ascertain the financial circumstances he will be working in this summer, and as expected he was informed he must sell before he can buy players.
The widespread suggestions that Moyes would leave Merseyside for a richer club even prompted defender Sylvain Distin, who signed a new deal earlier this month, to use social networking site Twitter to voice his concern.
‘I’ll be shocked to see the gaffer go... I don’t want to see this happening,’ he wrote. ‘Never thought I ll be tweeting about a manager lol’.
The Toffees even had to contact national radio station Talksport to rebuff their claims that compensation talks between Everton and Spurs had already started.
Moyes is currently on holiday in America, but will soon fly to Poland and Ukraine to watch Euro 2012.
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