Tottenham are facing a crucial few weeks under their new manager, Roberto De Zerbi. With seven games left, the team will avoid a no longer completely unthinkable relegation to the Championship.
Spurs confirmed the appointment of the Italian on a five-year contract on Tuesday. There is reportedly some relegation clause in the contact.
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The 46-year-old will of course do everything he can to avoid finishing the season in the relegation place in the Premier League. Should that happen, however, he is committed to staying in England’s second tier and leading the club back to the top level.
De Zerbi has just over ten days to work with the new players at the Hotspur Way training ground, before the team travels north to face Sunderland in a week’s time, on Sunday 12 April.
Although Tottenham are currently one point above the relegation zone, they could find themselves in the bottom three when they face Regis Le Bris’ men – if West Ham United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier that weekend.
Tottenham look at Bart Verbruggen as a replacement for Vicario
talkSPORT writes that as with most of Tottenham’s more ambitious transfer goals, any transfer for Verbruggen will likely depend on the team retaining their place in the Premier League.
If the team stays up, they are ready to strike, the report writes. De Zerbi has given the green light for the transfer, as he is a “big supporter” of the player he himself brought to Brighton.
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Tottenham were already considering bringing in a new first-choice goalkeeper before De Zerbi was hired, due to ongoing uncertainty over Guglielmo Vicario’s future. New reports suggest that the Italian has “come to a personal agreement” with Inter Milan, and that he is still determined to return to Italy in the summer.
Spurs could face competition for the “incredible” Verbruggen. Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are also said to be interested in the player, who is believed to be worth £50 million.
What has Verbruggen said about De Zerbi?
When the duo were together at the Amex Stadium, Verbruggen stated that he loved playing the football De Zerbi stood for on the south coast.
The Dutchman said at the time:
“I love it. I think it’s a good style – nice to look at, but also the best way to win games. That’s the most important thing. I’m always very interested in the mechanisms behind play-ups and how we pressure the opponent. So I enjoy every day I get to work with him and this group, and the opportunity to develop.
“I’ve played under several coaches who like to have a lot of possession and who want to play out from the back, so in that way the transition wasn’t that big. But each coach has their own details, thoughts, and ideas.
“Of course you have to adapt, and you also have to adapt to a new league. But the guys have helped me, and it wasn’t like I came from a team that only played long ball.
“I’ve always felt safe with the ball at my feet, and I get a lot of pleasure from that. In my head, this is how football should be played.
Given Verbruggen’s enthusiasm for De Zerbi’s style of play, and the fact that the Italian originally brought him to Brighton, this could be an interesting transfer saga to follow – provided Spurs stay in the Premier League.
Which goalkeepers best suit De Zerbi’s style?
To supplement our scouting report, we’ve used AI-assisted analysis to drill down into which goalkeepers are best suited to De Zerbi’s style of play.
