De Zerbi set to take Tottenham job on five-year deal as Spurs push for quick appointment
Tottenham are not hanging around. Less than 24 hours after confirming Igor Tudor's departure, the club is closing in on Roberto De Zerbi as his replacement, with multiple reports indicating a five-year contract is on the table.
From reluctance to agreement
De Zerbi left Marseille in February and initially signalled he wanted to wait until the summer before committing to another job. That stance has shifted. The scale of the deal Tottenham are offering, reportedly running until the end of the 2030-31 season, appears to have changed his calculations. A relegation release clause is also part of the package, giving the Italian an exit route if the worst happens.
Tottenham sit one point above the relegation zone with seven matches left. That is the mess De Zerbi would be walking into. Tudor managed one point from five Premier League games and oversaw the club's Champions League elimination during his 44 days as interim head coach. Before him, Thomas Frank lasted eight months after replacing Ange Postecoglou in June 2025.
Four managers in one season
If confirmed, De Zerbi will become Tottenham's fourth permanent or interim manager of the 2025-26 campaign. The speed of the managerial turnover has been staggering even by the standards of a club that has cycled through coaches at an uncomfortable rate in recent years.
The 46-year-old made his name in English football at Brighton, where his possession-based style won admirers across the league before he moved to Marseille in June 2024. His time in France ended abruptly, but the reputation he built at the Amex Stadium clearly still carries weight in the Premier League.
The survival job comes first
Forget the five-year plan for now. De Zerbi's immediate task would be keeping Tottenham in the Premier League. Seven games to secure safety for a squad that has looked short on confidence and organization under three different managers. The long-term vision can wait. The next few weeks will define whether this gamble pays off for both sides.
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