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"Who is the most important man at a football club?" Arsene Wenger was once asked. "The Manager" he answered. It was reply that was met with some laughter, which prompted a question from the Frenchman, "When a team is not performing well who do you change first?"
The role of a manager has changed over the years in football. A job that was limited to the training and tactical department of the game underwent a revolution in the dawn of the 21st century which saw the Manager of a football club becoming the most powerful man at a club. And with that power came more responsibilities that stretched throughout the club from overseeing the daily training to being the buffer between the club and the media.
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But in the age of social media and sponsors, footballers have become icons and heroes. And it has become the primary responsibility of the manager to keep these players in check. The rise in market values and player power over the last decade has made the job even harder, one of the reasons why no manager holds a top job for a long time anymore. The best examples of a clash of egos in recent history will be Mourinho and Manchester United, Ancelotti and Bayern, along with Conte and Chelsea. Each of these cases has shown the prevalence of player power and how crucial maintaining a good relationship with the squad has become.
A change in management has seen great teams fall and dark horses rise. Here we are focusing on 6 managers whom, if they were to change allegiance, will create new empires across Europe's top divisions.
With the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid having interim managers, the fall of the Bavarian giants, and Juve's and Barca's need for the champions league, this summer will see the biggest managerial merry go round in recent football history.
#1 Nuno Espírito Santo to Tottenham Hotspur
Awaiting entry into their new home 'Tottenham Hotspur Stadium', the club have begun the 2018 season very well considering the fact that no new player was brought into the squad during the summer window.
Sitting just six points off the top of the table, the Lilly Whites do have the strength to make a strong finish in the league. With the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid circling them for the likes of Toby Alderweild, Christian Eriksen and more importantly Mauricio Pochettino. it seems likely that Spurs will go into next season in a weaker position.
With the stadium loan estimated to restrict their business in the windows to come player sales are expected and one cannot see the managers of any top-level teams waiting to take on a possibly vacant coach's chair at Spurs.
The next best choice in the premier league should be the man who has taken Wolves to an unimaginable seventh place in the table. Nuno Espirito Santo signed a three-year deal at Wolves in 2017 and helped them to a championship win with four games left to go, and qualifying for the premier league. But it was the season which followed that showed the Portuguese's genius. Taking advantage of his knowledge of the Portuguese market he assembled a team with a style of play mirroring Pochettino's Spurs.
Nuno has managed to take points off or defeat each of the top six teams in domestic games. In his short time at the Molineux Stadium, the three-time La-Liga Manager of the Month has shown his tactical knowledge and ability to cope with teams of a higher quality. A move to Spurs, if possible, would be a step in the right direction for all parties involved.
#2 Mauricio Pochettino to Real Madrid
The thought of losing Mauricio Pochettino has been the stuff of nightmares for every spurs fan over the past year. In spite of being trolled on social media as the 'one with no trophies' Pochettino seems to have no lack of takers.
Rumours of possible negotiations with Manchester United, the hot favourites, sparked stern conversations in press conferences, with the Argentine mastermind declining to comment on any ongoing talks.
With the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich all possibly looking for a new head coach each of these would offer Pochettino the one thing he's always lacked- funds to compete. But being a former Espanyol man one would assume him to turn down the Catalonian giants and take the helm to guide the newly acquired next generation of Los Blancos stars to repeat the success of their predecessors.
With the likes of Toby Alderweild, Danny Rose and Christian Eriksen leaving, and the financial restrictions imposed on by the new stadium loan, Pochettino staying past the summer seems unlikely.
#3 Massimiliano Allegri to Manchester United
Mauricio Pochettino is the name on the tip of every United faithful when it comes to their next manager. Seen as the man to put Manchester United back on their perch, the Argentine is the bookies favourite for the job. But what the Red Devils need is stability - stability at the highest stage. And there is one manager in world football who's been there for some years now.
After taking over from Antonio Conte in 2014 the Italian's made the champions league final twice but failed both times. For a club striving for the greatest trophy in club football, if the Italian comes short once again it will bring forth his departure.
But for Manchester United, a team hellbent on returning to domestic dominance in the premier league, Allegri's four consecutive domestic doubles since 2015 in Italy should be the main focus. Attracting the Italian to Old Trafford should be a priority for the Red Devils this summer, and should be achieved easily.
Considering the fact that Paul Pogba appears to be the leader of the dressing room, bringing in the manager who's given him the two best seasons of his career will be quite a remarkable feat by the Man United hierarchy who desperately need the fans' faith in them restored.
#4 Zinedine Zidane to Juventus
"In a squad with good players, you need a great coach. In a squad with great players, you need a great man manager." A hat-trick of UEFA Champions League trophies is proof that Zizou is the best man manager in football today. Currently being linked with top jobs across all of Europe's best leagues the perfect fit awaits the Frenchman in Turin.
A returning legend and former player, Zidane will have a similar squad to the one he had at Real. And with the lack of competition in Serie A it will only be fair to say that the Old Lady's sights have now completely turned towards the "trophy with the big ears."
Having lost two finals in the last four years and not lifting the trophy this century the Bianconeri craves to be champions of Europe once again. This message was clearly sent to the world with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Madrid. Now that they've acquired the spearhead of the most successful Madrid attack it is only a matter of time before they get the brains behind it.
#5 Diego Simeone to Bayern Munich
A strong, hard tackling counterattack might not be what comes to mind when you think of Bayern Munich. Since the commencement of the Guardiola era, Bayern have been known for their slick passing moves and dominating wins, winning the league titles with many games left to go. But the 2018-19 season haven't gotten off to the best start for the Bavarians, being six points off the top with 17 games played.
Niko Kovac, who's been burdened with a talented but ageing squad, hasn't been able to get the best out of the German champions. With the squad set for a major overhaul, the Bayern board must look to bring back the counter-attacking identity of the club. A philosophy which outplayed Barcelona on their road to European glory as Thomas Muller man marked Sergio Busquets with Mandzukic holding the Barca back line off and the likes of Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez overpowering Barca's finesse with strength and pace. Since then Bayern have lost out to Simeone's Athletico once in the champions league.
Diego Simeone will bring back the defensive stability they've lacked in Europe recently. With the likes of Benjamin Pavard and Nikolas Sule as centre backs the Argentine should be more than able to recreate the Godin-Miranda partnership in Munich and create a good attack in the process.
#6 Jose Mourinho to Inter Milan
There aren't many stadiums in the world that would welcome back the 'special one'. But one team that will and needs to do so without a question is Inter Milan. Since the highs of the 2009-10 treble-winning season, Inter have been nowhere near the elite European cups or the Serie A title. 14 points off the top after 19 games, the black and blue side of Milan already seem out of the race.
Head coach Luciano Spalletti may have brought Inter back to the Champions League after a period of exile, but their early exit at the hands of PSV at home haven't done any favours. The club are sitting pretty comfortable at third in the league table, a position they should try to finish in the league. But their failure to win silverware in Europe and Italy yet again could be the final straw.
For Jose Mourinho this is a chance to redeem himself, prove to the world he is still "the special one." And being the only league in the top five where the big teams still hold onto the "defend first, attack later" philosophy, Mourinho will feel right at home in the Serie A. With Juventus' head turned towards the Champions League, the two time UCL winning manager could announce his return to the world in the form of a title challenge with the I Nerazzurri next season.
