Tottenham Hotspur have reached out to Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi in their attempts to seal a replacement for Antonio Conte.
What's been said on De Zerbi?
The Italian has been mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Conte with reliable reports recently suggesting that De Zerbi is on chairman Daniel Levy's shortlist.
Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sports, for example, says the Seagulls boss is among the names Levy is currently keeping an eye on – especially as he wishes to remain in the Premier League.
The journalist explained:
"De Zerbi is also on the list, who is doing very well at Brighton. I say for those who dream of him returning to Italy: apart from having a €13m release clause to release him, I don't think he wants to return to Italy. I think he wants to continue in the Premier League."
Now, a report by football.london has chimed in on the matter, claiming that an approach has been made by the Lilywhites to De Zerbi's representatives. Indeed, it is believed Spurs have contacted the camp of Sassuolo's former boss – but they actually aren't receiving encouraging signals right now.
This comes as Tottenham's manager search is taking an unfortunate turn as Chelsea seem like a real threat, especially with their serious interest in Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique.
Could Spurs miss out on De Zerbi?
The 43-year-old has been doing brilliantly at Brighton after former manager Graham Potter's exit earlier this season. Indeed, the south coast side are still in the battle for Europe and have been praised for both their performances and attacking philosophy.
Called a 'special' manager by striker Danny Welbeck, some within Spurs may well be hoping that De Zerbi changes his stance sooner rather than later.
To back up De Zerbi's credentials as a manager, Man City boss Pep Guardiola has already heaped praise on him, tipping the coach to be a big success.
The Spaniard explained:
“We have seen each other two or three times, mainly talking about football,”
“I’m really happy he is here; I saw the last two games and he is already playing the way he wants to play.
“His impact will be massive in the future.
“He plays a different way to Italy, the clubs and national team. His Sassuolo was an example, no matter the quality or investment, if you believe in something 100%, the way your team plays, you can do it.”
