Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy reportedly sacked Jose Mourinho because he feared that several first-team players would push to leave the club this summer if the Portuguese boss remained in charge.
Spurs announced on Monday that they had parted company with Mourinho, just six days before they face Manchester City in the EFL Cup final.
The 58-year-old was in charge at White Hart Lane for just 17 months and leaves the club seventh in the Premier League, five points behind West Ham United in fourth.
According to Eurosport, Levy is desperate to keep hold of key players such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Gareth Bale, and he felt that they could force a transfer elsewhere if Mourinho remained at the helm beyond this season.
Kane has been heavily linked with a move away from Spurs and is understood to have attracted interest from Premier League duo Man City and Manchester United, who are both looking to sign a new striker this summer.
Levy is also a big admirer of Paris Saint-Germain target Alli, despite the midfielder falling out of favour under Mourinho and starting just twice in the Premier League this season.
Bale in another player the Spurs chairman would like to keep, although the Welshman is expected to return to parent club Real Madrid once his loan deal expires at the end of this season.
Oliver Thomas
