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Mauricio Pochettino is privately 'gutted' after Tottenham Hotspur snubbed him to appoint Roberto De Zerbi now instead, according to GIVEMESPORT sources.

Tottenham decided to go all out to hire De Zerbi as their new permanent head coach in the last week, despite the Italian making it clear previously that he had no intention of taking on a job until the summer.

However, Spurs decided that because their situation was so precarious in the Premier League, they needed to take drastic action and get their man now, rather than hire another interim boss like Igor Tudor after that experiment failed miserably.

De Zerbi has been tasked with steering Spurs away from the drop zone, which they could find themselves in by the time they kick off the Italian's first match in charge against Sunderland a week on Sunday, should West Ham United beat Wolves next Friday.

A disastrous campaign has left the north Londoners one point above the bottom three with just seven matches left to play, with their situation worsened by the 3-0 defeat to fellow relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, which ended Tudor's 44-day reign.

Pochettino 'Gutted' as Tottenham Appoint De Zerbi

As GIVEMESPORT sources revealed following the departure of Thomas Frank in February, De Zerbi and Pochettino were the two main managerial candidates for the summer.

Had Tottenham's search reached that stage, it would likely have been a two-horse race between the duo for the job in north London.

However, GMS understands that De Zerbi had actually overtaken Pochettino as Spurs' preferred target, given they also tried to bring him in before Frank, after Frank went, and again before he agreed to a U-turn to join now.

The main issue with Pochettino throughout was that, even though he is admired by club chiefs and the fanbase, who made it clear they would welcome him back by chanting his name during the reigns of Frank and Tudor, he is managing the USA at this summer's World Cup.

With a focus on that, the Argentine was unlikely to be available to join Spurs until later in the summer, which Tottenham clearly can't afford given the situation they find themselves in now, and in the last two seasons when it comes to their Premier League standing.

Pochettino Has Plenty to Ponder Ahead of World Cup

Pochettino will need to quickly respond to the fact that he won't be returning to Tottenham this summer, and focus all of his energy on taking the USA as far as he can in their home World Cup.

Hopes would have been high following the two November friendlies, when the host nation beat Paraguay and then thrashed Uruguay 5-1.

However, Pochettino and his men were brought back down to Earth with successive home defeats against two European countries.

A 5-2 defeat by Belgium was followed up by a 2-0 reverse against Roberto Martinez's Portugal, with the USA knowing they need to improve if they want to beat some of the top European nations at the World Cup.

Tottenham considered making a surprise move to re-appoint former manager Ange Postecoglou, before bringing Roberto De Zerbi to north London, according to reliable reporter Alasdair Gold.

Spurs were in the market for a new manager last month after Igor Tudor left the club following a disappointing few weeks in charge.

Tottenham are battling to stay in the Premier League and were forced to take action after Tudor failed to make an impact, with De Zerbi brought in on a five-year deal.

The market for managers was difficult at the time of Tudor’s sacking, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Oliver Glasner, who may have ended up on Spurs’ shortlist, not available until the summer.

Tottenham Considered Surprise De Zerbi Alternative

Speaking on his YouTube channel, reliable journalist Gold has been discussing Tottenham’s pursuit of a new manager, and how they ended up bringing in De Zerbi.

Gold has suggested that he’s been told Spurs did consider the prospect of reappointing Postecoglou, albeit very briefly.

“They did look at other short-term options as well. I am told that they, very briefly, did consider a short-term return for Ange Postecoglou and when I say brief, I mean literally, that really shouldn't be made into anything more than that.

"I think it was something that they thought about. Would it even be doable? And as I always go back to what I said previously about that, if you're an organisation and you've just paid someone a huge amount of compensation, you're probably not to look to bring them straight back in and give them another job with more money.”

It would have certainly been a controversial and surprise appointment if Spurs had brought Postecoglou back to north London, and it perhaps shows the difficulties Tottenham had in terms of finding a new manager.

Tottenham Made the Right Decision

Looking back in hindsight at the end of the season, appointing De Zerbi might turn out to be a mistake, but it’s a risk Spurs needed to take.

Bringing Postecoglou back to the club wouldn’t have been a smart move, with the Australian manager proving with Nottingham Forest that he struggles with a side competing near the bottom of the Premier League table.

De Zerbi will need time for the players to adapt to his demands and style, but Spurs will be hoping he can make enough of an impact to win a handful of games, before being given time to fully implement his system in the summer.

Tottenham are looking to bring in reinforcements in the summer transfer window, and according to Caught Offside, they've now made contact with the representatives of Sara ahead of a possible move.

Spurs could be set for a busy summer after such a disappointing season, which has them in the relegation battle in the Premier League.

The north London club have now solved their managerial situation, with Roberto De Zerbi signing a five-year deal, replacing Igor Tudor, who left the club late last month.

Reinforcements will be necessary if Tottenham want to head back in the right direction and become European contenders again, and they'll need to add new additions in order to suit De Zerbi's style.

Tottenham are likely to bring in new signings all over the pitch, with Sara now being linked with a move back to England.

Tottenham Eyeing Gabriel Sara Deal

According to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have made contact with those close to Sara ahead of a possible move in the summer transfer window.

It's claimed that Sara would be keen on a move to the Premier League, but Galatasaray are hoping to keep the midfielder later this year.

The Turkish club would reportedly demand in the region of £39m to allow him to depart, with Spurs now exploring a deal to secure his signature.

Sara, described as 'magical', would be happy to sacrifice playing in the Champions League in order to make the move to the Premier League, which would give Tottenham a boost if they manage to avoid dropping down to the Championship.

The Brazilian star is believed to be one of Tottenham's main targets for the summer, providing they remain in the Premier League.

Sara Could Add Goalscoring From Midfield for Tottenham

Although playing in midfield, Sara is a huge contributor in terms of goals and assists.

The 26-year-old has provided seven goals and assists in the league for Galatasaray this season, even hitting 25 during his final season at Norwich City in the Championship.

Spurs' second and third top goalscorers in the Premier League are defenders, so there's no doubt they need to start adding goals and creativity from midfield.

Richarlison leads the way in first with nine goals, while Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are in second and third on just four.

Roberto De Zerbi won't be bringing Alessandro Nesta to Tottenham Hotspur, according to journalist Tom Barclay, issuing an update on the Italian's coaching staff.

De Zerbi performed a U-turn and decided to join Spurs now rather than waiting until the summer, with Tottenham giving him an offer he simply couldn't refuse.

The 46-year-old has become the third best-paid manager in the Premier League behind only Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, and has signed a five-year deal with no relegation release clause.

That is a sign of the commitment from both parties to this project and making it work, with De Zerbi's main priority being to ensure the north Londoners don't actually slip into the Championship.

The former Brighton boss' first Premier League match in charge comes away at Sunderland on April 12, when Tottenham could find themselves in the drop zone should 18th-placed West Ham United beat bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers 48 hours earlier.

No Nesta for Tottenham

Reports in Italy earlier this week suggested that De Zerbi had made a move to hire Italy World Cup-winning legend Nesta to his coaching staff at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The report said that while Nesta was focused on taking on another head coach role, he would at least consider an offer from Spurs, even though he's never held an assistant manager job previously.

However, according to Barclay, De Zerbi's backroom staff will not include the Serie A legend.

Nesta has been out of work since the summer having failed to keep Monza in the Italian top flight, while he has previously managed Miami FC, Perugia, Frosinone, Reggiana and Monza.

Who Could De Zerbi Appoint to His Coaching Staff?

De Zerbi has had a big team of seven coaches at Brighton and Marseille in his previous two jobs, so those would be the favourites to join him at Tottenham.

The coaches in question were Andrea Maldera and Enrico Venturelli, who were his assistants, while Ricard Segara was his head goalkeeping coach.

De Zerbi also had three fitness coaches in Vincenzo Teresa, Agostino Tibaudi and Marcattilio Marcattilii.

Meanwhile, Marcello Quinto was brought in as a Senior Professional Development Phase coach to work with the club's youngsters.

Whether Tottenham will allow De Zerbi to bring seven coaches into the club with him remains to be seen, but they are giving him a lot of power, including having a say on who the club's next sporting director will be, according to GIVEMESPORT sources.

Former Tottenham midfielder Sandro has also been linked with a coaching role, which would be a popular appointment among the fanbase.

What did De Zerbi After Tottenham Appointment?

Speaking on Wednesday, following his appointment on Tuesday, De Zerbi expressed his delight at joining Tottenham, saying he wants to stay 'for a long time'.

He said: "Hello to all the Tottenham fans. I'm very happy to stay here with you.

"For me, it's an honour and very proud to be your coach. I want to give my best. I want to stay for a long time in this big club. See you soon."

Tottenham Hotspur have held talks over a summer move to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Goncalo Ramos, according to TEAMtalk.

Spurs are battling to stay in the Premier League this season, and currently sit just one point above the relegation zone, with new manager Roberto De Zerbi tasked with navigating a relegation battle before rebuilding the squad for next season and getting back to being competitive.

Striker is expected to be a priority position to strengthen with the future fo Richarlison in the air, and Randal Kolo Muani's loan move not expected to be made permanent, and Ramos has emerged as a potential target.

Ramos, who has been described as 'unbelievable', joined the French giants from Benfica back in 2023 in a deal worth around £60m, but has found himself struggling for regular first-team football ever since.

The Portugal international, who was part of the squad that won the Champions League last season, is now ready to push for a move away from the Ligue 1 side in order to establish himself as a regular, and his representatives have made contact with a number of clubs about being his potential destination.

Tottenham are one of the clubs to have held talks with his agents about a move, and it's understood that the 24-year-old is ready to test himself in the Premier League, and would be open to a move to north London to play regularly if they are still playing in the top-flight.

It's unclear how much any potential deal would cost, but Ramos is entering the final two years of his deal at the Parc des Princes, and it could now be the perfect time for them to cash in on the forward.

Tottenham Need a New Striker

Dominic Solanke had a good debut season at Spurs following his move from Bournemouth, but he has had an injury hit second season which has seen him struggle for form.

Richarlison and Kolo Muani are more likely to be playing elsewhere next season, which means a new striker is likely to be a necessity for De Zerbi, and could be his first signing since joining on a long-term deal.

Ramos is a traditional target man, but he has great movement and poacher instincts which could make him the perfect fit for the Italian's system, and if the fee makes sense then it could be the ideal signing to make the squad stronger and give everyone what they want.

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has made his intentions clear in his first training session, as footage emerges on the club's social media channels.

De Zerbi was appointed at the end of March, and he's now getting his teeth into working with the players.

The former Brighton manager will have the majority of his players back and available following the end of the international break, and with plenty of time until their first game against Sunderland, he has a real opportunity to implement his ideas with the players.

Spurs currently sit just one point above the relegation zone, and they are still searching for their first Premier League win in 2026.

Spurs face Sunderland next weekend away from home, before hosting De Zerbi's former club Brighton. It's a tricky set of fixtures for Tottenham, but De Zerbi will be confident that he can steer them back in the right direction.

Tottenham released a clip from De Zerbi's first training session with his new club, and the intensity of their play on the ball was clear to see.

There was a clear emphasis from De Zerbi on short, sharp passing, with the Italian manager counting every pass, reiterating his desire for his team to play in small spaces.

The Tottenham squad were also seen playing small-sided games on a mini pitch, with De Zerbi dropping the ball into the middle before restarting play.

De Zerbi dropping the ball in the middle of a small pitch led to high intensity from the Tottenham players, who were forced to quickly try and win the ball back.

In summary, the two things Tottenham supporters can take away from De Zerbi's first training session are high intensity and short passing.

De Zerbi's style is focused on building up from the back, retaining possession, and winning the ball back at speed.

Implementing his style won't be easy in such a short space of time, so it's no surprise that De Zerbi is focusing on getting his players working hard and winning the ball back.

Being in Spurs' position, they are unlikely to completely dominate games at this stage, so there needs to be a focus on what they do without possession.

The Premier League clubs' total spend on agent fees was announced on Tuesday evening, much to the shock of fans up and down the country - with almost £500million being spent on concluding deals.

The figures include both of the last two transfer windows, starting from the end of the January 2025 window and including the summer period, as well as the January 2026 transfer window. Of course, each passing year it seems as though more and more money is being spent, including promoted teams continuing to spend at least £100million on players per year.

And those figures are not stopping agent fees, either. Here, GIVEMESPORT takes a look at which teams have spent the most on intermediaries in a bid to get deals done - and you may find it mindblowing as to how much the leading side have spent of the collective £460million across each 20 clubs.

Burnley, Everton, Sunderland, Fulham, Nottingham Forest

Perhaps unsurprisingly to most people, it's Burnley that are bottom of the pile this time around. The Clarets simply did not spend as much as their promotion counterparts, and with a fair bulk of their summer signings joining on obligations from their successful Championship campaign, it's seen Scott Parker's men spend just £7.35million on agent fees.

Everton are next up; they likely won't have involved an agent fee in the deal taking Jack Grealish to Merseyside as he was only a loan signing, and given the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tyler Dibling and more were wanting to move, their agent fees won't have been as high as their market value reflected.

Making up the bottom three are Sunderland, who signed in bulk and for a vast amount of money in terms of transfer fees — though they have done that well - alongside Fulham, and signing-happy Nottingham Forest.

Forest brought in plenty of talent once again this summer, including lashing £30million or more on four players this summer, including Dan Ndoye, Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee - but agent fees were relatively low for their deals.

Brentford, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Brighton and Hove Albion

Moving away from the bottom five, we move into sides that have largely been competing in the bottom half of the table this season.

Brentford are the anomaly to that statement. It's been an incredible campaign for Keith Andrews in his first season as a manager, not least in the Premier League - and the Bees currently sit just three points behind Liverpool in the race for Champions League football, having only spent £12.74million on agent fees over the past two windows.

Next come Leeds, who landed stars such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor. Although they've fallen slightly off the boil in recent weeks in the league, they still have breathing space and are well-placed to survive in the top-flight with home games to come against Wolves and Burnley.

Making up the rest of the bottom half are Crystal Palace, West Ham and Brighton - who, until recently, had spent long periods in the bottom half prior to Brighton's recent revival of four wins in five games.

West Ham could be joining Burnley and Wolves in the bottom three by the end of the season, which would make their £18.34million money poorly spent.

Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester United

There are some big hitters on this list, but once again, some have spent their agent fees incredibly poorly.

Newcastle are enduring their worst campaign yet under Eddie Howe, winning just 12 of their 31 games this season - despite the record signing of Nick Woltemade, and the additions of Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga.

Bournemouth have had a drop-off themselves this season, beginning the opening stages of the campaign in the top four, though the loss of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City and the decimation of their defence over the summer has contributed to them slipping down to 13th.

Tottenham are in eighth, and they've had the worst season of any. There is a genuine chance that Spurs could be relegated, which would arguably be the biggest shock in Premier League history, alongside Leicester City winning the title in 2016. That makes their £21.38million on agent fees seem like dreadful spending.

And then come bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh, spending an incredible £25.96million in agents fees - though they sit on just 17 points with seven games to go.

In fact, the only side in this quintet who have been impressive are Manchester United. Spending big under Ruben Amorim, it's taken until Michael Carrick's interim spell for them to get firing and now a Champions League place seems all but in their grasp given United's recent form.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Chelsea

It's perhaps no surprise to see the top six teams in this list currently sit as the top six in the Premier League table. At the end of the day, large and continued spending does bring you success on the whole.

What is perhaps slightly odd is seeing Arsenal sitting outside the top four. Bringing the likes of Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Piero Hincapie to the Emirates Stadium has massively increased Mikel Arteta's chances of finally bringing home the Premier League title - but the Gunners haven't spent more than their title rivals of years gone by with just £32.14million leaving their coffers.

Rounding up the top four are Liverpool's £33.88million, in which they landed the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike among others in a crucial summer on Merseyside, one which hasn't quite gone to plan for the club so far.

City are third, despite spending money on Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo in the winter window to boost their figures, and surprisingly it's Aston Villa in second, eclipsing City by just over £1million.

However, the most jaw-dropping statistic of this entire table is Chelsea's spending on agent fees. £65.10million - more than double that of every team except Liverpool, City and Villa - is enough to put them top spot and by some incredible margin.

It's more than the bottom six teams combined, and perhaps most excruciatingly for fans and Todd Boehly, it's not showing on the pitch. The Blues have won just one of their last five games, sitting six points outside of the top four - and five points clear of the bottom half.

They have games coming up against Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool - and Champions League football may not be a formality next season, despite the huge spending.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has suffered an injury blow before he's even taken his first training session after Senegal midfielder Pape Matar Sarr missed the match against Zambia on Tuesday.

De Zerbi is due to begin work with his full squad on Friday following the return of multiple stars from international duty, with the players said to be 'excited' at the prospect of working with the Italian.

The 46-year-old has signed a five-year deal at Tottenham with the club hoping he can lead the project to take the club back towards the top of the Premier League, starting with staving off relegation this term.

Dropping into the Championship is a huge concern for a Spurs side who have gone more than three months without a league win.

They will hope to pick up their first Premier League win of 2026 when they face Sunderland on April 12, with seven matches to ensure they remain in England's top tier next term.

De Zerbi will already be concerned that he may have to do it without Sarr though.

Sarr Suffers Shoulder Injury for Senegal

According to the Independent, the 22-year-old midfielder has suffered a shoulder injury that caused him to miss Senegal's clash with Zambia on Tuesday.

Sarr has become the tenth injured Tottenham player who could miss out on De Zerbi's first match at the Stadium of Light, although there is hope that some of those will return for the trip to Wearside.

Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur and Ben Davies could all return to face Regis Le Bris' men, and De Zerbi will be hoping that the situation is the same for Sarr too.

It appears as though there are already five guaranteed absences against the Black Cats though, with Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Guglielmo Vicario and Dejan Kulusevski looking set to miss the game.

A worrying update has emerged on the latter, who is still hoping to appear for Sweden at the World Cup in June.

Kulusevki 'Unable to Walk Upstairs'

Having been seen limping after meeting up with his Sweden teammates ahead of their crucial World Cup playoff matches, Kulusevski took to social media to provide a positive update on his recovery.

He posted on Instagram: "Just to clarify things. I’m limping because I had a small intervention in the knee 2 weeks ago. Went in and took out what was not supposed to be there. Knee is great now. Thanks for all the support. God is the greatest. Always.”

While saying that his knee is now 'great' after almost 12 months on the sidelines, journalist Ryan Taylor has confirmed on X that the 25-year-old is still 'unable to walk upstairs'.

Tottenham will hope to have the Swede back for the start of next season, but the latest update hardly makes it sound like he will be appearing for Sweden in north America this summer, despite his desire to.

Tottenham Hotspur have sorted out the future of their first-team by appointing Roberto De Zerbi on a long-term contract, and now attentions off the pitch has turned to potential signings.

The north London club currently sit just one point above the relegation zone with seven games remaining of the campaign, but the Italian manager is confident that he can keep the team in the Premier League, and then wants to build a squad in his image to ensure this isn't repeated next time around.

One of the priority positions for Spurs to target is the striker department, and it has now emerged that the club are closely monitoring a young German to come in and cure their goalscoring issues.

Tottenham Eyeing Tresoldi Deal

Nicolo Tresoldi has been one of the standout performers for Club Brugge this season, netting 21 goals in all competitions, and according to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, that has caught the attention of Spurs.

The 21-year-old, who has been described as 'outstanding', is expected to leave Brugge this summer and has attracted the attention of a number of clubs across Europe, including Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Serie A sides, and even Arsenal.

Spurs are understood to be monitoring the situation ahead of the summer window, with any deal for the Germany youth international, who can also represent Italy or Argentina, expected to cost around €30m (£26.1m).

With Randal Kolo Muani's loan move not expected to be made permanent, and Richarlison expected to move on in the final year of his contract, a new, younger striker option could be set to arrive and make a claim for the starting spot ahead of Dominic Solanke.

Would Tresoldi Fit De Zerbi's Style?

De Zerbi's style is known to be relatively complex and has very specific demands, which makes the transfer window very important for what he wants to build.

Tottenham have been looking at players while managerless that could strengthen the squad, but now that De Zerbi has been given some control in the market, it remains to be seen if they push ahead with this move.

GIVEMESPORT asked ChatGPT if Tresoldi's style of play would fit into a typical De Zerbi system, and this was its response:

Tottenham Hotspur are considering a summer move to sign Brighton and Hove Albion star Bart Verbruggen to replace one of their key players, according to talkSPORT.

Tottenham have a huge few weeks ahead under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, as they have seven matches to ensure they don't suffer an unthinkable relegation to the Championship.

Spurs confirmed the appointment of the Italian on a five-year deal on Tuesday, with GIVEMESPORT sources understanding that there is no relegation release clause in his contract.

Of course, the 46-year-old will be doing everything to avoid ending the season in the Premier League drop zone, but if he does then he is committed to staying in England's second tier and returning the club to the top flight.

De Zerbi has more than 10 days to work with his new players at the Hotspur Way training base, before they face the long trip north to play Sunderland a week on Sunday.

While Tottenham currently sit one place and point above the relegation zone, they could be in the bottom three by the time they kick off against Regis Le Bris' men should West Ham United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the weekend.

Tottenham Eyeing Verbruggen to Replace Vicario

As with the majority of Tottenham's more ambitious transfer targets, any move for Verbruggen will likely depend on them preserving their Premier League status, according to talkSPORT.

They are ready to make a move should they stay up says the report, with De Zerbi giving the green light to a move as he is a 'huge fan' of the player he signed for the Seagulls.

Tottenham were already considering signing a new number one even prior to the appointment of De Zerbi, with ongoing doubts over Guglielmo Vicario's position.

New reports suggest that the Italian has 'agreed personal terms' with Inter Milan as he remains determined to secure a return to Italy this summer.

Spurs could face competition for the 'unbelievable' Verbruggen's signature, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich also keen on a player who is said to be valued at £50m.

What Has Verbruggen Said About De Zerbi?

During the duo's time together at the Amex Stadium, Verbruggen said he loved playing De Zerbi's style of football on the south coast.

The Dutchman said: “I love it, I think it’s a good style - nice to watch, but also the best for winning games. That’s the most important thing. I’m always so interested in the mechanics of the build-up and pressing of the opponents. So I enjoy every day working with him and this group of lads and improving.

“I’ve played with more coaches who like to have a lot of possession, like to play out from the back, so in terms of that it wasn’t too big [a change]. But every coach has his own details and his own thoughts and ideas.

“So of course you need to adapt and you need to adapt to the new league as well. But the lads have helped me and it wasn’t as if I came from a team that played kick and rush.

“I’ve always felt comfortable with the ball at my feet and I take a lot of joy out of that and in my head that’s the way you have to play football.”

Given Verbruggen's love for De Zerbi's style and the fact that the Italian signed him for Brighton in the first place, this move could be one to watch if Spurs stay in the Premier League.

Which Goalkeepers Are Most-Suited to De Zerbi's Style?

To supplement our scouting report, we leveraged AI-assisted analysis to deep-dive into the goalkeepers who are most-suited to De Zerbi's style of play.

🥇 Ederson

Still the benchmark.

Elite at progressive passing under pressure

Turns build-up into immediate attacking advantage

Core to Manchester City’s positional play

👉 The purest example of what De Zerbi wants.

🥈 Marc-André ter Stegen

The most controlled version of the role.

Exceptionally secure in tight build-up phases

High passing accuracy and composure

Key to FC Barcelona’s structure

👉 Less risky than Ederson, but nearly as effective stylistically.

🥉 Bart Verbruggen

The system-native De Zerbi goalkeeper.

Has already operated inside De Zerbi’s structure at Brighton & Hove Albion

Very comfortable receiving under pressure

Strong technical base with room to grow

👉 Not as polished as the other two yet—but:

he’s arguably the closest developmental fit for the system long-term.

🧠 Why Verbruggen makes the top three

Including him isn’t just sentimental—it’s tactical: