Roberto De Zerbi: Tottenham in talks with ex-Brighton boss about taking over as head coach

Tottenham are in talks with Roberto De Zerbi about becoming their next head coach.

Relegation-threatened Spurs, who sit one point above the bottom three with seven games to go, want the former Brighton boss to take over permanently after Igor Tudor's exit on Sunday and have offered him a five-year contract.

De Zerbi is now open to taking the job after previously indicating he wanted to wait until the summer to consider his options. Spurs are pushing hard to persuade him - with discussions taking place on Monday.

Spurs are hopeful of confirming their third managerial appointment of the season this week before the players return from international duty. Their preference is for a permanent appointment after Tudor's disastrous seven games and 44 days in charge.

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Sky Sports News has reported for several weeks that all options have been under consideration, including accelerating the appointment of a summer target.

De Zerbi is high among those, along with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has a contract as USA boss until after this summer's World Cup.

Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood, who has repeatedly put his name in the frame to take over, has told Sky Sports FC that De Zerbi is the perfect candidate if he can keep Spurs in the Premier League.

"I love his personality and the way his teams play," said the Sky Sports pundit. "But they can be open and can get hammered in some games - you can't get hammered between now and the end of the season.

"[De Zerbi] wanted to have a break after Marseille in February, but why didn't [Spurs] bring him in then? Why didn't they bring him in before Igor Tudor? You'd have given him another seven games to go at, then I would've had total confidence that he would keep them in the league."

Several Spurs fan groups have urged the club to rethink any potential De Zerbi appointment over his backing of Mason Greenwood when he was Marseille boss.

De Zerbi having a change of heart?

De Zerbi is available after leaving Marseille in February, but Sky in Italy reported last week that he was not expected to join Tottenham - or any other club - before the end of the season.

The 46-year-old had intended to avoid an immediate return to football so he could evaluate his options in the summer.

But it appears he has had a change of heart and could now join relegation-threatened Spurs.

The north London club sit just one place and one point above the relegation zone with only seven Premier League games left.

Tottenham are aiming to avoid relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1977, with their next match at Sunderland on April 12, live on Sky Sports.

De Zerbi could be set for a return to the Premier League, having managed Brighton for nearly two seasons, where he achieved the club's highest-ever top-flight finish as they secured European qualification for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the 2022/23 campaign.

The ex-Shakhtar Donetsk boss then left the Seagulls at the end of the following season after an 11th-placed finish and a run to the Europa League last 16.

De Zerbi then joined Marseille in the summer of 2024 before leaving by mutual consent last month after their Champions League league phase exit and a 5-0 thrashing at Paris Saint-Germain, which left them fourth in Ligue 1 having finished runners-up to PSG the season before.

'De Zerbi far from a safe pair of hands - but why didn't Spurs appoint him earlier?'

Ex-Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood speaking on Sky Sports News:

"For anyone going in now, you have to put a question mark on it because you've only got seven games left.

"I like him, I really do. I like his personality. I said many months ago that he would be the man to come into Tottenham.

"I would've picked him over Mauricio Pochettino for the long term because he plays that style that Tottenham fans want to play. He opens up the pitch, but not now. That style is not needed now, what they need now is a safe pair of hands. This is far from a safe pair of hands.

"I still like him. I love his personality and the way his teams play. But they can be open and can get hammered in some games - you can't get hammered between now and the end of the season.

"We saw his Marseille team play against Liverpool with an open style. He opens up the pitch, it's expansive the way he plays.

"We know how stubborn this man is. This man is hard to deal with, but I like him for that because he's got his own mind and does it his way, so that's my only reservation.

"I think if he can get them over the line, I think he's a perfect manager for Tottenham to have taking them forward.
"The main priority is just to keep them in the league. He would not be that firefighter-type manager who comes in for this seven-game period.

"He wanted to have a break after Marseille in February, but why didn't they bring him in then? Why didn't they bring him in before Igor Tudor? You'd have given him another seven games to go at, then I would've had total confidence that he would keep them in the league.

"They obviously didn't want him then. He was available, but they didn't want him."

Is De Zerbi a good mid-season appointment?

Tottenham, who currently sit one point above the relegation zone, are in need of a head coach who can deliver instant results with just seven games left to secure their survival.

De Zerbi has established himself as a coach that instils a possession-based philosophy, creating teams that are praised for their attractive style of football.

However, the Italian's start at Brighton when he took over mid-season in 2022 following Graham Potter's departure would suggest he might struggle to have the required impact.

De Zerbi failed to win any of his first five Permier League games in charge of Brighton, drawing twice and losing three games, albeit facing a tough schedule.

When taking over at Serie A newcomers Benevento mid-season in 2017, De Zerbi's side were praised for the football they played, but were relegated from Italy's top flight.

De Zerbi failed to win any of his first nine games in charge of Benevento.

The Italian also struggled when taking over Palermo mid-season in 2016, winning just one of his 13 games before being sacked less than three months into the job.

Why Spurs fan groups are against De Zerbi appointment

Three Tottenham fan groups have previously urged the club to rethink any potential appointment of De Zerbi due to his past backing of Marseille forward Mason Greenwood.

Fan groups Proud Lilywhites, Women of the Lane and Spurs Reach all expressed their concerns about the Italian after he worked with Greenwood at Marseille.

Ex-Manchester United forward Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to a "combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses" and due to "no realistic prospect of conviction". Greenwood has since resumed his career and joined Marseille in 2024.

In November, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a "good guy" who had paid a "heavy price" and added: "It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described."

Spurs' LGBTQI+ fan group Proud Lilywhites said: "We've seen the reports linking Roberto De Zerbi with the Tottenham job and honestly, it doesn't sit right.

"As Proud Lilywhites, we care deeply about this club, not just what happens on the pitch, but what Tottenham stands for off it. This isn't just about results or style of football. It's about values, identity, and the kind of people we choose to represent us.

"We all want Spurs to move forward, but how we do that matters. When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals.

"We are proud of the progress that's been made in making football more inclusive and welcoming.

"That progress matters, and it cannot be compromised or treated as secondary.

"We are not asking for perfection. We are asking for accountability, transparency and leadership that reflects the values this club claims to stand for. All together, always. That has to mean something. No to De Zerbi."

Women of the Lane added: "We want to be clear about how this [speculation] is landing with many women and allies in our community.

"De Zerbi has publicly defended Mason Greenwood in a way that downplays the seriousness of male violence against women and girls. That raises serious questions about judgement and leadership.

"This is not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make."

A Spurs Reach statement read: "Comments previously attributed to Roberto De Zerbi, including public remarks defending and contextualising Mason Greenwood following serious allegations have been widely criticised for appearing to minimise the gravity of violence against women.

"Regardless of intent, framing of this nature risks normalising harmful attitudes, diminishing the experiences of survivors and sending a deeply concerning message about what is tolerated within the game.

"We all want the club to progress but it must do so in a way that reflects its values. No to De Zerbi."

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Roberto De Zerbi: Tottenham in talks with ex-Brighton boss about taking over as head coach