Ange Postecoglou lined up for shock managerial return in Saudi Arabia
The Australian is currently out of work following his brutal sacking as Tottenham boss, despite ending the club's 17-year trophy drought with Europa League glory.
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A dismal domestic campaign proved to be Postecoglou's downfall, with Spurs recording a worst-ever 17th-place Premier League finish.
His side lost 22 of their 38 league games, the most by any team avoiding the drop in the competition's history.
The north Londoners have moved quickly in the aftermath of Postecoglou's exit, already replacing him with Thomas Frank, who left his role in charge of Brentford.
And despite only being without a club for just over a week, Postecoglou has already found himself touted for an immediate return to management.
But his future could lie away from English football, with Al Ahli having held an initial call with the Aussie after placing him on their managerial shortlist in the event of highly-rated boss Mathias Jaissle moving on.
It is understood Postecoglou is not the only candidate for the would-be vacancy, with the preference being to hold onto their current manager.
German coach Jaissle led the club to an AFC Champions League triumph in May with victory over Kawasaki Frontale in the final.
His side boasted former Premier League stars Ivan Toney, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy.
Silverware success came despite Jaissle previously appearing under pressure at the start of the season, when his team were struggling.
Jaissle's exploits have seen him tipped for a return to Europe, having previously been linked with the West Ham vacancy before Graham Potter's appointment, and now RB Leipzig in his homeland.
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The Bundesliga side are on the lookout for a new manager, with interim coach Zsolt Low only being appointed until the end of the 2024/25 season following Marco Rose's sacking.
Al Ahli reportedly pay the Jaissle £9.6million-a-year, which would make him the third highest paid manager in the Premier League.
Postecoglou received a £5m payoff from Spurs after his sacking, along with a £2m bonus for winning the Europa League and qualification for next season's Champions League in Bilbao.
Should a move to Saudi Arabia materialise, it wouldn't be the Aussie's first time working in Asia.
He previously managed Yokohama F Marinos in Japan between 2018 and 2021, winning the J1 League in 2019 prior to taking charge of Celtic.
Postecoglou lifted back-to-back league titles in Scotland, before taking charge of Spurs in 2023.
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Matthias Jaissle prefers to stay at Al-Ahli despite interest from Europe, including Leipzig.
However, Lee Congleton is exploring replacements, as he did last season. That’s despite support for Jaissle from within the Al-Ahli board.
Ange Postecoglou is one name under consideration in case Matthias Jaissle leaves. An exploratory call has already taken place. Xavi is another name under consideration.
Can reveal Jaissle has a release clause, which also halves in January. His contract expires in 2026 and there is no active renewal offer on the table.
Jaissle is popular with Al-Ahli fans and there was considerable backlash when Ron Gourlay and Congleton tried to remove him in January. It led to him staying, even though now Milan-boss Max Allegri was lined up. Jaissle went on to win the AFC Champions League.
In May, Jaissle was offered improved terms for the remaining year of his contract, but Al-Ahli refused to extend it beyond 2026. Jaissle refused at the time since he was given no security he could stay beyond next season.
Jaissle’s stock has risen in Saudi and several European clubs have him on their radar.
He was sacked exactly two years after his appointment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, despite delivering on his promise of winning a trophy in his second season with victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.
Spurs' players paid tribute to Postecoglou following his sacking, with captain Son Heung-min hailing him, saying: "You've changed the trajectory of this club."
Meanwhile, centre-back Cristian Romero released an emotional statement in homage to the coach just minutes after Thomas Frank was announced as the club's new head coach.
