De Zerbi Confirmed at Tottenham, Joins Premier League's Top Earners

Roberto De Zerbi has reached an agreement to take over as Tottenham's head coach, succeeding Igor Tudor. The Italian manager was the top choice for the Spurs' board, and negotiations have now been successfully (and swiftly) concluded.

According to The Times and Sky, the deal includes a five-year contract, with the official announcement expected within the next 24 hours. De Zerbi, who left Marseille in February, will have the immediate task of preventing the club's relegation from the Premier League.

Currently, Tottenham sits in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone – which includes Nuno Espírito Santo's West Ham – and is enduring a run of 13 consecutive games without a win. The Italian coach's contract includes a substantial bonus if he successfully secures the club's top-flight status.

Negotiations largely centered on the composition of his coaching staff, with the inclusion of an individual familiar with the club being a key consideration. De Zerbi's estimated annual salary is between €14 million and €17.5 million, which will make him the third highest-paid manager in the Premier League, trailing only Pep Guardiola (€23.2 million) and Mikel Arteta (€17.5 million).

This change comes after Igor Tudor's brief tenure, which lasted only 44 days and saw him collect just one league point against Liverpool, having replaced Thomas Frank. The Spurs' board was under immense pressure to make the right choice, utilizing the international break and the FA Cup quarter-finals. Despite other names like Adi Hutter, Edin Terzic, Marco Rose, Ryan Mason, Robbie Keane, and Sean Dyche being considered, De Zerbi was always the club's preferred option.

The new manager's debut is scheduled for April 12, away at Sunderland. Tottenham has not won a Premier League match since 2026, accumulating five draws and eight losses in their last 13 fixtures. Tudor's final game was a 0-3 home defeat to Vítor Pereira's Nottingham Forest, a direct rival in the relegation battle, on March 22.

This marks Roberto De Zerbi's return to the Premier League, where he managed Brighton from 2022 to 2024. In his inaugural season, he guided the team to a sixth-place finish, followed by an 11th-place standing in the 2023/24 campaign. After leaving Brighton by mutual consent, he moved to Marseille, where he secured 39 wins in 69 matches. The 46-year-old coach departed the French club in February, following a heavy 0-5 defeat to PSG and elimination from the Champions League by Club Brugge.