Roberto De Zerbi is prepared to come to London to hold face-to-face talks with Tottenham Hotspur over their vacant managerial job, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.
Spurs have begun the process of looking for their next manager following the sacking of Thomas Frank on Wednesday morning, with ENIC knowing they need to get the appointment right to drag the north London club away from a Premier League relegation battle.
Tuesday night's defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium left the club just two places and five points above 18th-placed West Ham United, who also beat them at home in recent weeks.
Tottenham now have a decision to make ahead of their next match - a big North London derby against Premier League leaders Arsenal at home on February 22.
Spurs must work out whether they are going to go down the route of appointing an interim manager and then waiting for the summer when they are likely to have more options to choose from, or hire an out-of-work manager now.
According to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Jacobs, the three leading names for Tottenham decision-makers are De Zerbi, former striker Robbie Keane and Mauricio Pochettino.
While De Zerbi and Keane could be attainable now, Pochettino will remain in charge of the USA until after their home World Cup this summer.
Jacobs said::
"De Zerbi is maybe the most fluid or fascinating [manager candidate]. I'm told De Zerbi is prepared to come to London and hold face-to-face talks to sound out this Tottenham project and work out if he's interested now, when he wasn't the last time Tottenham had a vacancy.
"With Pochettino, sources indicate he would take the Tottenham job even after the departure of Daniel Levy, but nothing is going to be possible until after the 2026 World Cup because he is leading America on home soil."
De Zerbi Would be a 'Genius' Appointment
While De Zerbi has just left his post at Marseille following a heavy defeat against Paris Saint-Germain, there is no doubt that he is still one of the most sought-after managers in European football.
According to GIVEMESPORT sources, the Italian 'genius' will be on Manchester United's shortlist should he still be available in the summer, while Manchester City could even view him as a contender to replace Pep Guardiola when the Spaniard eventually leaves.
De Zerbi is admired by his peers too, with Guardiola labelling him 'one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years' during his spell with Brighton, while Liverpool boss Arne Slot called him 'one of the best managers in the world' only last month.
If Tottenham can convince the 46-year-old to join them now, it might be a no-brainer decision to get Spurs fans enjoying their football again.