Roberto De Zerbi reaches agreement in principle with Tottenham to replace Igor Tudor as manager

The north London club has moved swiftly to fill the vacuum left by Tudor, whose interim tenure ended on Sunday after just 44 days and seven disastrous games in charge. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, De Zerbi and Tottenham have reached an agreement in principle, with the former Marseille manager giving his final approval to the move less than two months after leaving France. While Tottenham's hierarchy had originally identified the 46-year-old as a primary target for the summer, the club’s precarious league position - sitting just one point above the Premier League's bottom three - forced their hand to accelerate the appointment.

Although De Zerbi is not yet in London, the framework of a long-term project is already in place. The five-year contract offer reflects a desire for stability, with the board viewing the former Brighton boss as the ideal candidate to implement a lasting philosophy. According to Sky Sports, discussions continued on Tuesday to finalise the makeup of his backroom staff, with the club pushing for a total agreement this week to ensure the new head coach can travel to the UK and begin work before several key players return from international duty.

The appointment of De Zerbi represents a significant tactical gamble for a team in a relegation dogfight. Known for a complex, possession-based philosophy, the Brescian coach has historically struggled to implement his ideas quickly when taking over mid-campaign. During his time at Brighton, he failed to win any of his first five matches, and his previous mid-season stints at Benevento and Palermo were marred by long winless streaks. Spurs are essentially betting that his high-ceiling "De Zerbi-ball" can manifest instantly to save their season.

De Zerbi is poised to potentially make his debut in the Tottenham dugout for the high-stakes trip to Sunderland on April 12, a fixture where anything less than a victory could see Spurs slip into the relegation zone. This encounter marks the beginning of a relentless seven-game run to conclude the 2025-26 campaign, which could serve as the ultimate test of the Italian's ability to instil a complex tactical system in a squad currently devoid of confidence.