Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to go against their summer plans and appoint a permanent new head coach now, before the 2025/26 season is out.
Spurs made the decision to sack Thomas Frank in February and appointed Igor Tudor as interim manager until the end of the season, with a view to making a permanent appointment in the summer.
However, things have not worked out for the Croatian in north London, with Spurs picking up just one point from his five Premier League games in charge so far, sinking deeper into the relegation mire as a result.
Two Names In The Frame For Interim Appointment
Tottenham are just one point and one place above the Premier League's bottom three, and could be in the relegation zone by the time they play again, with West Ham - the team directly behind them - playing before the Lilywhites take to the field again.
There have been more internal discussions inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium about Tudor's position at the club, with Sunday's shambolic 3-0 defeat at home to fellow relegation strugglers Nottingham Forest making it four defeats out of five under the interim boss.
Reports have suggested that, given the sad death of Tudor's father, the Croatian would leave the club by mutual consent, rather than being sacked.
Adi Hutter and Chris Hughton have been linked with taking the reins on another interim basis, but according to the i paper, Spurs are ready to rip up their plans for the summer and appoint a permanent successor to Frank now in the form of Roberto De Zerbi.
De Zerbi was described by Pep Guardiola as one of the most "influential managers in the last 20 years" during his time at Brighton, with former player Adam Lallana describing his boss as "world-class".
The Italian has been high on Tottenham's wishlist for the full-time job in the summer, alongside former boss Mauricio Pochettino, but Spurs are reportedly accelerating plans to appoint De Zerbi now before the season is out.
Tottenham Want Quick Decision During International Break
It is the perfect time to make a change, if the Tottenham hierarchy are looking to do so, with the Lilywhites not in action again for another two-and-a-half weeks due to the March international break, followed by FA Cup quarter-final weekend.
De Zerbi had been thought to want to wait until the summer to assess his options, following his departure from Ligue Un side Marseille shortly before Frank was sacked by Spurs, but new reports suggest he is now ready to "get his hands dirty", with the Italian relishing the opportunity to help Tottenham stave off relegation to the Championship.
GIVEMESPORT understands Tottenham are expected to make a quick decision on the fate of Tudor and his replacement, with whoever comes in being handed a huge bonus to keep the club in the Premier League.