Tottenham are in advanced talks with Roberto De Zerbi and look set to appoint him as their third manager this season, tasked with keeping Spurs in the Premier League
Roberto De Zerbi is a manager with a lot to prove. And that is why Tottenham appeals to him - even if the opportunity comes earlier than he expected.
De Zerbi, 46, was adamant even last week that he wanted to wait until the summer before taking on a new challenge. That was not just to refresh himself but also because it is clear that Tottenham are in serious danger of going down and De Zerbi certainly does not see himself managing in the Championship.
This is a manager who certainly does not lack belief. He is known as arrogant, aloof and difficult - and they are some of the nicer descriptions.
Explosive, angry and impossible are other adjectives which could easily be used through his much-travelled managerial career. But De Zerbi is also a very successful manager who gets results and that is why Tottenham decided to go for it now - rather than wait.
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Whether any manager - let alone De Zerbi - can install his ideas with just seven games left remains to be seen. However, De Zerbi’s head has been turned because the Italian will also know that Tottenham is a huge opportunity.
They have a £1billion stadium, they played Champions League football this season and possess an under-performing squad in desperate need of a coach to drill them, improve them and lift them to safety. De Zerbi did brilliantly in his two years at Brighton, leading them into Europe and also producing entertaining, fast and intense football with his high-press tactics.
That led to him being linked with big jobs like Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester United which is a recurring theme. De Zerbi does not lack ambition. But that was at the heart of his fall out at Brighton with De Zerbi questioning the club’s ambition, the ambition of chairman Tony Bloom and it was only ever going to end one way.
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De Zerbi wanted more players, more money spent on the squad and to reach a higher level. It set a worrying tone because De Zerbi talked about his “plan” and the “Tony plan.” Brighton would be nowhere without Bloom and yet De Zerbi was ready to challenge the hierarchy publicly. His outbursts would be uncomfortable at times.
The bigger job never came in England but he moved to Marseille and finished second in his first season, got them back into the Champions League and yet the wheels came off again after they failed to qualify for the knock-out stages.
But De Zerbi is respected by his peers and that is why even Arsenal loaned Ethan Nwaneri because Mikel Arteta thought he would get a good football education at Marseille. That did not last long.
De Zerbi’s comments about Mason Greenwood - shown the door by Manchester United after charges against him, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped - being a “good guy” have clearly sent alarm bells ringing among at least three Spurs supporters’ groups.
Initially, that was a concern for senior figures at Tottenham but that appears to have changed and now they are ready to appoint him - and as quickly as possible. He has a distinctive playing style. The team works hard. Tottenham want to confirm him within the coming days to allow him enough time to work with the players before the Sunderland game on April 12.
If they complete the deal for their man then it will be a thrilling ride with a manager ready to challenge and pull no punches. Tottenham will remember Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte outbursts about the way the club is run. They must know what is coming.
But De Zerbi is older, wiser and with a point to prove in English football. These jobs do not come around very often - and that is why he is thinking about jumping back in.