Dougie Freedman on Tottenham Hotspur shortlist as crisis club target new sporting director

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly weighing up a move for Dougie Freedman to fill the crucial sporting director vacancy after their campaign hit a new low on Thursday evening.

The Premier League side are embroiled in a desperate battle for survival with last night's 3-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace leaving them hovering precariously above the top-flight trap door.

Just one point now separates Spurs from the relegation zone, with the Londoners having picked up just four points from their last 11 league games and having not won in the league since December.

Whilst significant question marks surround the longevity of Igor Tudor's spell as interim boss, it appears the club are pressing ahead with their plans to recruit a long-term replacement for Fabio Paratici after he was relieved of his sporting director role at the start of the year.

News of their interest in the ex Crystal Palace man, who is currently in Saudi Arabia with Al-Diriyah and was responsible for the scouting and recruitment of the likes of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton at Selhurst Park, comes during a period of considerable upheaval within the club's hierarchy.

Executive chairman Daniel Levy stepped down after 25 years following intense supporter criticism in September, before Carlos Raphael Moersen joined as director of football operations in January - the same time that Paratici's second spell in the capital was brought to an end.

Their search for the Italian's successor has remained high on the agenda in recent weeks, although it's understood that Spurs top brass are now keen to accelerate that further as they seek to make an appointment and boost their bid for Premier League survival.

Former Juventus boss Tudor was handed the managerial reins last month after former Brentford boss Thomas Frank was relieved his duties, but the Croatian has been unable to instigate an upturn in fortunes, losing all three of his fixtures in charge including a crushing 4-1 home loss to rivals Arsenal.

Despite the growing pressure upon him, club sources have said there are no immediate plans to change manager for a second time this season, seemingly suggesting the 47-year-old currently retains the backing of the board.

However, that could quickly change with the side facing two daunting away fixtures next week, in the UEFA Champions League at Atletico Madrid and a crucial away league encounter with Liverpool at Anfield.

Defeat on Merseyside could potentially leave Spurs inside the bottom three, thus leaving the owners, and potentially new sporting director, with another hugely significant decision to make.

Whilst Freedman is, according to BBC Sport, to be on the Spurs radar, other names such as Chelsea's Paul Winstanley and Bournemouth's president of football operations, Tiago Pinto, are also rumoured to be under consideration.