Tottenham find themselves in yet another sorry situation as they prepare to name their fourth head coach in just nine months. They confirmed on Sunday afternoon that Igor Tudor had left the club by mutual consent, just 44 days after taking over from Thomas Frank in a bid to steer Spurs away from relegation trouble.

“We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for head coach Igor Tudor to leave the club with immediate effect. Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci have also left their respective roles of goalkeeping coach and physical coach,” read their statement. “We thank Igor, Tomislav and Riccardo for their efforts during the past six weeks, in which they worked tirelessly. We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time. An update on a new head coach will be provided in due course.”

Tudor was in charge for a mere 44 days and failed to secure a single Premier League victory during his tenure.

His solitary point came in the draw at Liverpool, and his only win was the Champions League last-16 second leg against Atletico Madrid, which proved insufficient for Spurs to advance to the quarter-finals.

Despite the turbulence of the past week, Tudor is understood to have returned to the UK and took charge of training on Saturday and Sunday with the handful of available first-team players not away on international duty following a brief period of rest. Coach Bruno Saltor will now oversee sessions for the next few days.

According to football.london, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange are expecting to have a new head coach in position before the remaining players return from international duty.

This will afford the incoming manager 10 days to work with the squad ahead of the Premier League fixture at Sunderland.

Tottenham’s preference is to appoint a permanent head coach to steer Tottenham back in the right direction.

Spurs are believed to have explored the prospect of enticing a currently-employed manager to abandon the security of their existing role for this challenging situation.

Mauricio Pochettino would undoubtedly prove a popular choice amongst supporters and would ease the pressure on the club’s hierarchy.

His commitments with the USA are considerably less demanding in the coming weeks compared to the gruelling schedule a Premier League manager would face, but engineering such an unconventional arrangement before and after a World Cup would present a considerable challenge.

The alternative to enticing someone from existing employment leaves Roberto De Zerbi as the most obvious available permanent candidate at present, after the Italian departed Marseille last month by mutual consent following a 5-0 drubbing by PSG.

The Italian had been earmarked as a potential contender in the summer for the permanent position, alongside Pochettino, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva amongst others.

However, circumstances at Spurs have grown so dire that any ambition to assess a broader managerial market at the season’s conclusion could prove futile should the club drop into the Championship.

The difficulty has been persuading De Zerbi to accept a role that two other managers have already struggled with this campaign.

He would also risk adding a relegation to his record if insufficient time remains to instil his highly distinctive, high-intensity style upon this demoralised squad.

Tottenham are reportedly willing to offer the 46-year-old a substantial salary and survival bonus for keeping Spurs in the Premier League, as it would pale in comparison to the enormous financial consequences relegation would bring.

Several supporter groups, including Women of the Lane, Proud Lilywhites and Spurs Reach, have all voiced their opposition to the club’s pursuit of De Zerbi owing to his backing of Marseille striker Mason Greenwood.

Should De Zerbi conclude that insufficient time remains to turn this Spurs squad around, or simply that more attractive opportunities may emerge in the summer, the north London club would be forced to consider interim appointments.

Tottenham have been linked with familiar faces from within the club, including two-time former caretaker head coach Ryan Mason, ex-Spurs managers Harry Redknapp and Glenn Hoddle, former player and assistant coach Chris Hughton, and ex-Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, who is understood to only be interested in the permanent role.

Those from outside the club include former Burnley and Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche, alongside Edin Terzic and Marco Rose, both of whom were in contention before Tudor was appointed.

Meanwhile, former Monaco manager Adolf ‘Adi’ Hutter withdrew himself from consideration on Sunday.

In a statement reported by Sky Sports News in his native Austria, he said: “In recent days and weeks, I have been increasingly linked with various clubs.

“However, as I already stated immediately after my time at Monaco, I would prefer not to work as a head coach again until the start of the new season at the earliest. My position on this matter has not changed since then.”

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