Spurs ‘agree deal’ with former Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri

Former Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri is being lined up to replace Tim Sherwood as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, according to an Italian newspaper.

Corriere dello Sport claims that a verbal agreement has already been reached between Allegri and the north London club. However, it is expected that no formal announcement will be made until the end of the season as Spurs concentrate on qualifying for the Europa League.

The 46-year-old former midfielder is said to have been in London for several weeks recently. Tottenham’s technical director, Franco Baldini, is understood to be masterminding the move for Allegri.

As Roma director of sport last summer, Baldini tried to engineer Allegri’s move there before Rudi Garcia was appointed.

Allegri was sacked by Milan in January after a run of poor results. However, in the first season of his three-and-a-half-year tenure at San Siro, he managed to win the Serie A title with the Rossoneri, bringing them their first league title in seven years.

He will reportedly be bringing his former assistant at Milan, Mauro Tassotti, with him to White Hart Lane.

Allegri impressed during his two-year spell at Cagliari, his fellow coaches naming him as their manager of the year in 2009. But he was removed by the Sardinian side’s combustible president, Massimo Cellino (now the owner of Leeds United) and Allegri was appointed Milan coach in 2010.

After winning the title, Milan finished second and third in the next two seasons but Allegri was dismissed early this year with the club down in 11th place in Serie A.

Tottenham have also been heavily linked with Louis van Gaal, who is set to step down from his role as Netherlands coach after this summer’s World Cup. Another Dutchman, the Ajax manager Frank de Boer, has also been touted for the job.