£30m star could return to Tottenham if Spurs hire Ruben Amorim to replace Conte
As Aston Villa and Wolves found out this season, convincing Ruben Amorim to step down from the Sporting Lisbon coaching bench is easier said than done.
According to The Sun, the former Portugal international was the first choice to replace Bruno Lage at Wolverhampton Wanderers in October. However, Amorim had little interest in trading a European challenge for a relegation battle.
“Of course I want to play in the big leagues,” said a coach who guided Sporting to their first Primeira Liga title since young Cristiano Ronaldo made a splash in Lisbon (O Jogo).
“But that’s not what attracts me; It’s about having a good project, having good players and being able to convey my identity to my players.”
However, the chance to return Tottenham to the relative glory of the Mauricio Pochettino era could be just the opportunity Amorim has been waiting for. Spurs may have fallen a bit since that Champions League final and those Premier League title charges. But if you inherit Antonio Conte’s job, you’ll still have one or the other really tasty raw product in your fridge; Richarlison, Heung-Min Son, Cristian Romero, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, his former Sporting right-back Pedro Porro and possibly Harry Kane as well.
To replace Antonio Conte with Ruben Amorim at Tottenham Hotspur?
You only have to look at Erik ten Hag’s work at Manchester United to see that with the right manager and the right philosophy, a previously underperforming bunch can be transformed into something far greater.
And it’s certainly hard to imagine a Conte side competing at Arsenal like Amorim’s Sporting did in a thrilling 2-2 Europa League draw on Thursday night. Marcus Edwards leads the charge from the right wing; The former Spurs youngster is becoming one of Portugal’s most feared forwards under Amorim’s tutelage. Edwards has 10 goals and 11 assists in 38 games this season. He was a constant threat to Arsenal; a cheeky nutmeg here, a twist there. It was Edward’s beautiful sliderrule pass that also paved the way for Paulinho’s equaliser.
“A bit like Lionel Messi”
Hardly a window goes by without Edwards is linked with a return to North London; a £30million fee that might be enough to pull off the trick. Spurs have already raided Sporting for Porro once this year and could return to a familiar marketplace in the coming weeks after The Athletic report that Fabio Paraitici is a big Amorim fan.
And with Amorim signing on the dotted line, it’s hard to imagine a more opportune time for Spurs’ prodigal son to come home.
“Marcus is a player with a lot of talent,” Amorim told Football London. “(Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino) said he had something like Lionel Messi.
“He’s playing in the Champions League, he’s maturing but I think he can improve a lot. He has the talent but can still improve.
“He’s happy (at Sporting). He still has a lot to give and a lot to improve on. But I see a very happy future for Marcus Edwards.”
In other news, Arsenal fans will love what Folarin Balogun posted on Instagram following rumors of a £50million exit