Tottenham Hotspur are on the search for a new manager for the second time this season following the sacking of Igor Tudor, and have landed on Roberto De Zerbi.
They began the season with Thomas Frank at the helm, but when he failed to turn results around at the start of this season, he was replaced by Tudor in February.
The Croatian managed just seven games across all competitions, winning just one point in the Premier League.
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Tottenham Hotspur close in on Roberto De Zerbi with big offer
Now sat just one point above the relegation zone, without a league win since December, it’s crucial that the north London outfit get this appointment right, to avoid the worst-case scenario.
It was because of that threat that De Zerbi is originally said to have wanted to wait until the end of the season, but Spurs seem to be winning him round with a too-good-to-refuse offer.
According to TEAMtalk, De Zerbi has agreed to become the Spurs boss this season, partly thanks to a “massive survival bonus” if he manages to keep the club in the top flight.
That is just one element of the reported five-year contract offered; another element of the deal that has made the offer an attractive one.
Not only that, but the wage on offer is said to be eye-watering, with talkSPORT, reporting the wage will make him the third-highest-paid manager in the Premier League, behind only Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola.
It is a huge commitment from the north London club, and a significant gamble, but one they’re betting on costing less than relegation would in the long term.
One of the final points said to be getting ironed out before finalising the agreement is the relegation wage cut, which the radio station reports would become active if Spurs were relegated to the Championship and the Italian stuck around.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, De Zerbi would certainly be something of a coup at the minute, but the finances involved will worry some.
At one stage, he was thought of as the successor to Guardiola at Manchester City, and while he’s not the only man to take on that moniker over the last decade, it shows how he’s regarded in the highest circles.
So, to suggest that Spurs may be able to convince him to come in and fight a relegation fire is a credit to the negotiators in north London, despite the hefty financial risk: it still may not go to plan, but it seems a better bet than when they first welcomed Tudor in last month.