Tottenham Hotspur's search for a new boss has already seen them rejected by one gaffer in an approach to land his services earlier this month, according to reports - with former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi being the man to have turned the Lilywhites down in order to stay at Marseille.
Ange Postecoglou was sacked earlier this week, leaving a vacancy in the dugout in north London - and that has left Daniel Levy searching for his replacement ahead of pre-season starting up once again, with De Zerbi reportedly being contacted by Spurs ahead of a potential move for his services.
Report: Tottenham 'Made Approach' for De Zerbi to Replace Postecoglou
The Lilywhites must appoint a new boss to replace the Australian
The report by Fabrizio Romano on X (formerly Twitter) states that Spurs approached De Zerbi in recent days, but the Italian head coach rejected the role - as he wanted to stay at Marseille. Spurs sacked Postecoglou on Friday afternoon after a shocking domestic campaign clouded their Europa League success, in which the Lilywhites won a trophy for the first time in 17 years under the Greek-Australian boss.
A 17th-placed finish in the Premier League is Tottenham's worst in the competition's history, and that saw Daniel Levy opt for the former Celtic boss to exit - opening the door to potential candidates.
Thomas Frank of Brentford remains the most-talked-about option after his efforts with the Bees, but De Zerbi has also proven himself massively in the Premier League. Brighton finished 6th in the league under the Italian boss in the 2022/23 season, also reaching the last 16 of the Europa League on the south coast the following campaign before being knocked out by Roma.
Moving to Marseille after having differences with Brighton's board, De Zerbi finished second in his first season with the side from south France, scoring 74 goals in just 34 Ligue 1 games - securing Champions League football in the league phase for next season, which has seen him called a 'genius'.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Roberto de Zerbi won 26 of his 70 Premier League games with Brighton.
De Zerbi's football is somewhat similar to Postecoglou's, being patient in their build-up with a focus on playing out from the back and drawing the opposition in before hitting them on the transition - and his adaptability to the Europa League champions could have been an ideal fit.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 08-06-25.