Roberto De Zerbi remains unlikely to become the next Tottenham Hotspur manager before the end of the season, journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
The 46-year-old Italian has been heavily linked with replacing under-fire Igor Tudor in recent days but now looks set to keep his options open until the summer.
De Zerbi would consider a move to Spurs if they stay in the Premier League, although another attempt from the north London club to hire the Italian before the end of the campaign has not been ruled out.
De Zerbi left his role as Marseille manager in January following the French club’s exit from the Champions League and a heavy 5-0 thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain.
Spurs Unlikely to Appoint De Zerbi
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, revealed that De Zerbi remains unlikely to make a return to management before the end of the season, despite emerging links with Tottenham:
“I maintain my information on Roberto De Zerbi. The idea for Roberto De Zerbi has always been about the end of the season.
“If Tottenham stay in the Premier League, to get the job at the end of the season is something that Roberto De Zerbi would consider.
“So that remains the focus. Let's see if Tottenham decide to make one more attempt for the De Zerbi now.
“But at the moment, so far in the last four or five weeks, Roberto De Zerbi never opened the doors to an immediate job at Tottenham, only focusing eventually on the summer.
“So De Zerbi would be open for the summer, but at the moment, still nothing has changed for present.”
De Zerbi took over at Marseille in the summer of 2024 and led them to second in Ligue 1 in his only full season at the club.
Prior to his appointment at Stade Velodrome, the Italian tactician spent two years at Brighton and took the Seagulls to sixth in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season – the club’s highest top-flight finish to date.
De Zerbi won 26 of his 70 Premier League games in charge of the Seagulls, averaging 1.39 points per match.
Igor Tudor Under Pressure at Spurs
Tottenham are believed to be seriously considering replacing Tudor following his difficult start at the club, with the Croatian winning just once across his first seven games.
Behind the scenes, Spurs have been working on potential replacements and have been linked with appointing former Monaco boss Adi Hutter in recent days.
While both De Zerbi and former manager Mauricio Pochettino remain contenders to be in charge next season, relegation from the Premier League would significantly diminish Spurs’ chances of landing either.
Spurs are just one point above the drop zone following their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Roberto De Zerbi Tactics Explained
Amid Tottenham’s interest in De Zerbi, we asked ChatGPT to explain the Italian tactician’s tactical approach: