FA executives are delighted that Tottenham have appointed Jose Mourinho as manager as there was concern that the club would approach Gareth Southgate if they had a vacancy next summer.
Mauricio Pochettino's departure has long been regarded as a matter of time, with Southgate fitting the profile of manager usually favoured by Spurs, given his excellent record of promoting young players and attacking football.
Southgate has a contract with the FA until 2022, but this week raised the prospect of an earlier departure if he was no longer feeling 'warmth' from his employers and the fans after next year's European Championship.
An approach from Tottenham next summer would have left Southgate facing a dilemma, as he wants to return to club football at some point, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy realised there was no chance of the England manager joining them before Euro 2020 so did not seriously consider him when plotting to replace Pochettino.
The FA are desperate for Southgate to lead England through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar