Arsenal may have inadvertently told fierce rivals Tottenham the best manager they should sign as Thomas Frank's replacement to get them challenging at the top of the Premier League table, if the Dane is sacked this week - Roberto De Zerbi.
Rumours are swirling that Frank's position as Spurs head coach is becoming untenable after Saturday's Premier League defeat to West Ham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs have lost nine of their 22 Premier League games this season - six of those defeats coming at home - and sit 14th in the table, ten points clear of the relegation zone.
Thomas Frank Has Tottenham Belief
Frank is preparing his team for the visit of Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night and came out fighting during his pre-match press conference.
"I know it’s part of the media circus and the only focus I have is to do everything I can for us to win tomorrow against Dortmund," he said.
"I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again – as long as we win football matches and make sure we do that, and win enough of them, then everyone will support us.
"I'm not in doubt [that I can win the fans back]. I think you can say in this game, you always need to show resilience."
There is a groundswell of opinion within the fanbase that Frank's time is up and following the defeat to the Hammers on Saturday, internal talks took place in the boardroom at Tottenham to discuss his position.
Names In The Frame To Replace Thomas Frank
Plenty of names have been linked with replacing him - Oliver Glasner and Xabi Alonso chief among them given the news around their futures this week. One man who has been linked in the past but not so much this time around is former Brighton boss De Zerbi, although he was named as a 'top target' for Spurs earlier this month.
The Italian has Marseille in third place in Ligue Un just past the halfway stage of the season and in a good position to qualify for the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League as well.
He has been linked with a return to the Premier League on a number of occasions since departing Brighton in 2024, with Manchester United looking at him as they seek a permanent manager in the summer.
But Tottenham could do a lot worse than making a move for him either now or in the summer, according to fierce North London rivals Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta Thinks De Zerbi Is Right For Ethan Nwaneri
The Gunners, much to the anguish of the Tottenham supporters, are flying high at the top of the Premier League table this season and look well on course to win the title for the first time since 2004. They are seven points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa with 16 games of the campaign to go.
News emerged on Tuesday morning that manager Mikel Arteta was prepared to let teenage star Ethan Nwaneri make the loan move to Marseille before the January transfer window closes, to team up with De Zerbi.
The Athletic's transfer guru David Ornstein explained the reasons behind a potential move in his Deal Sheet piece.
Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi has held positive talks with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Nwaneri, with the Italian and his style of play a prominent factor in the Ligue 1 side being favoured by their Premier League counterparts.
Marseille's style of play has been seen as perfect for Nwaneri to hone his craft before returning to Arsenal to play in Arteta's system as he improves.
De Zerbi had Brighton playing free-flowing, attacking football that was easy on the eye before moving to France a year-and-a-half ago and has a big supporter in Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola described De Zerbi as "one of the most influential managers" while he was in charge of the Seagulls.
Speaking in 2024, Guardiola said: "He's brave, it doesn't matter which opponent he faces, he wants to impose his game, the process he does in the build-up, they are just exceptional.
"I think he's the perfect person to be in the world of football because his teams are so attractive. Always when I'm sitting at home I like to watch it and when I'm his opponent I suffer!
"I am pretty convinced I am right in what I am saying: he is one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years. There is no team playing in the way they play. It’s unique."