Roberto De Zerbi: Tottenham must spend whatever it takes to bring in ex-Brighton boss and avoid relegation, says Paul Merson
Tottenham and De Zerbi are progressing in talks to appoint the Italian as their new head coach; Spurs sit one point above the bottom three with seven games to go; De Zerbi has been described as the 'final roll of the dice' by the club to avoid relegation
Paul Merson
Paul Merson Monday 30 March 2026 18:51, UK
Paul Merson says Tottenham bringing in Roberto De Zerbi will be the best money the club have ever spent should they remain in the Premier League.
However, Merson also stresses there should be reservations as to whether the Spurs squad can adapt to the Italian's style of play.
Tottenham and De Zerbi are progressing in talks over the head coach vacancy, in their latest throw of the dice to avoid relegation. Spurs, who sit one point above the bottom three with seven games to go, want the former Brighton boss to take over permanently after Igor Tudor's exit on Sunday and have offered him a five-year contract.
After initially having reservations about taking over at this stage, De Zerbi is now open to taking the job. Spurs are pushing hard to persuade him, with discussions taking place on Monday.
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The 46-year-old was high on the list of preferred candidates for Spurs this summer but plans to pursue the appointment have been fast-tracked due to changing circumstances at the club.
Read below for Merson's thoughts on Tottenham's pursuit of De Zerbi with seven games to beat the drop...
'De Zerbi will be the best money Spurs have spent if they stay up'
I was quite bullish about Tottenham staying up and then after the Nottingham Forest game [Spurs losing 3-0 at home], you're like, 'Wow. They're in real trouble'.
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It just shows you what a big club Tottenham is. I know they're struggling at the moment, but to get someone like De Zerbi, who's a top, top manager. To get him to come to the club just tells you everything about how big Tottenham is. So they've got a chance now.
I don't care how much money he gets. Whatever he gets, if he keeps them up, it's the best money they've ever, ever, ever spent.
He wanted to come in at the start of next season, he's going to come in now. So they have to throw the kitchen sink at him. They have to. They can't afford to go down.
If they go down, it's just unthinkable. So you've got to take that chance, and whatever the bonus is, it's a cup of tea in football terms, if he keeps them up. Because if he doesn't keep them up, everything goes out the window.
They are a business now. They get concerts. They've got go-karting, they've got American football. You've got to throw another four home games on top.
Then all of a sudden you can't be booking Robbie Williams to do a concert, because you might be in the Championship play-offs, you know.
So all this stuff changes now and it's huge, but it just shows you how big Tottenham are, because they can get him.
And if they can get him, this lad is a top, top manager that a lot of clubs would have. But Spurs have had good managers. They've had very good managers. And look where they are. They're 17th in the league.
'Have Spurs got time to play the De Zerbi way?'
The problem is he'll come in. And he is a good manager, but he plays a certain way.
He likes to open the game up. He likes the centre half to get on the ball and hold it.
When someone closes them down, then you pass the ball, and then we'll take that player out of the game. You're going to ask Tottenham players to do this, who are so low at the moment they could literally walk underneath a snake with a top hat on.
So you're asking people to do stuff that is not easy. It's not easy to play under De Zerbi. You watch Brighton play, and they play.
It was nice. It's not a Sean Dyche who comes in and goes 'right, bang, bang. I'm going to make your job so, so easy. You're going to play there, you're going to play there. Do your job. You work hard. We'll get results'.
This is completely different. You know, there'll be a book and De Zerbi will be saying 'you've got to pass there. When he goes there, you've got to drop in there and you drop back'. I don't know if they have time for that.
The worst thing that could ever happen to Spurs is if West Ham beat Wolves. Because when they drop into that bottom three, it's a different game. Then the pressure is severely, severely ramped up. They need West Ham not to win that game.
If Spurs get relegated, you can't blame De Zerbi
I know that a lot of the players won't be there next season. There won't be anybody who finishes the season and if Tottenham went and got relegated on the last day, those players will come out with a statement and go 'I'm staying, I'm going to get Tottenham back into the league. It was our fault'.
They'll go away to the World Cup and you'll never see them again.
But if they got relegated, no way would I sit there and say De Zerbi has done that or that's his fault.
There are seven games left there. They're not the easiest seven games in the world for anybody, let alone someone who's 17th in the league.
The thing that I always sit there and think is I'd love to have been in that meeting when Tudor went in there and he talked to the people who were in charge and how they sold it to him. That's what no one ever mentions. The hierarchy are the people who are picking the managers, and everybody else gets the blame.
Tottenham's remaining games
April 12: Sunderland(A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
April 18: Brighton(H) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports
April 25: Wolves(A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 2: Aston Villa(A) - Premier League
May 9: Leeds(H) - Premier League
May 17: Chelsea(H) - Premier League
May 24: Everton (H) - Premier League
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