Roberto De Zerbi will begin his Tottenham Hotspur reign with a trip to Sunderland on Sunday.
The Lilywhites have frantically searched for a new head coach since the unsurprising departure of Igor Tudor.
After a shocking spell in charge for the Croatian, he needed replacing, and it had seemed as if a name with experience of Spurs would be selected.
Instead, the N17 hierarchy have moved to bring the Italian in with just seven Premier League games remaining to save his new side.
De Zerbi looks set to pen his contract with Tottenham, with an away day at the Stadium of Light in the pipeline.
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Roberto De Zerbi set to sign five-year deal at Tottenham
It’s safe to say the Italian has divided opinion in North London, as his appointment has become increasingly likely with each passing day.
He has had mixed reports at former sides like Marseille and Brighton, but certainly has experience at the top level.
The board at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have done their most to convince the 46-year-old of a return to the Premier League.
That didn’t work earlier in the season, but whatever they have done has paid off with De Zerbi now set to complete his move to N17.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday that the Lilywhites have struck an agreement with the Italian to become their new head coach with immediate effect.
He has accepted a move to North London and is now set to sign a five-year deal before taking charge of Spurs instantly.
His maiden voyage will come as Tottenham travel to face Sunderland in the Premier League after the international break and easter break.
De Zerbi has never faced Sunderland as a manager
The head coach has been a manager since 2014, and his best career opponents have been Italian outfits Lecce and Genoa.
In English football, his three wins against Wolves are his most, while against Spurs, he has won one but has lost three.
De Zerbi has faced a vast number of different teams across England, France and Italy, but one side he has never faced is Sunderland.
The Black Cats were in the Championship during his last Premier League reign with Brighton, and now look set to mark his first outing as the Lilywhites’ boss.
The new gaffer may be helped by Spurs’ recent record of 10 wins and five draws in their last 15 league outings against Sunderland.
It may be a career first for De Zerbi against the Mackems, but history is certainly on his side at the Stadium of Light.