Tottenham managerial target Vincent Kompany signs extension at Burnley

Burnley manager and former Manchester City star Vincent Kompany has done miraculous things from the touchline this season. In his one season in charge of the Clarets, Kompany has transformed a Burnley team that was known for dour, defensive struggle-ball football under Sean Dyche until their relegation last season, turning them into a progressive, exciting team that waltzed to the Championship trophy and instant promotion back to the Premier League.

That turnaround has reportedly put Kompany on the managerial shortlists of a number of Premier League clubs looking for a new gaffer, including Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, who are keeping an eye on him as a potential (and hypothetical) successor to Pep Guardiola. But it doesn’t look like he’ll be heading up the managerial ladder anytime soon. Over the weekend, Kompany signed a new contract with Burnley, and it’s expected he’ll be staying at Turf Moor for at least another season.

I hadn’t gotten around to writing the Daniel Levy’s Imaginary Shortlist article about Kompany — and now I guess I don’t have to. But I had started researching and there was a lot to like about what Kompany has done at Burnley. The transformation has been staggering, though of course there are caveats that this was taking place in the Championship and that Kompany doesn’t have a ton of managerial experience. There were also some concerns about how well Kompany’s tactics could work against high level Premier League opponents. I guess we’re going to find out next season because Burnley are back in the top flight and it sounds like he’ll be given the opportunity to implement his high pressing, progressive passing system with an upgrade in player talent.

Depending on who you listen to and what you read, Tottenham’s shortlist still includes a number of quality managers including (ostensibly top choice) Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique, Arne Slot, Roberto De Zerbi, and Reuben Amorim, Ange Postecoglu, and Xabi Alonso, among others.