Roberto De Zerbi is believed to be open to taking the permanent Tottenham Hotspur head coach job should the club stay in the Premier League.
Spurs face a huge fight to avoid relegation after losing at home to Nottingham Forest, but that has not stopped the club trying to put plans in place for their survival.
This includes, as first revealed by Telegraph Sport earlier this month, holding talks with De Zerbi, who is out of work having left Marseille by mutual consent in February.
Tottenham are entering the final stages of their hunt for a new sporting director with Sebastian Kehl the latest candidate to emerge for the post. Kehl left the same role at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
De Zerbi and Pochettino the frontrunners
Igor Tudor’s future as interim head coach was plunged back into doubt by the Forest defeat, although Tottenham’s first priority is to support the Croatian through the passing of his father, Mario, that prevented him completing any post-match duties on Sunday.
Two of Tudor’s former clubs, Juventus and Lazio, posted messages of support on social media on Monday before Spurs confirmed Mario’s passing. Tottenham’s statement read: “Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Igor Tudor’s father, Mario. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Igor and his family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Whatever happens with Tudor between now and the end of the season, there is no prospect of him earning the permanent Spurs job. De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino are the favourites for the long-term post, with Tottenham keen to appoint a new man with experience of European football and the demands that places on the head coach – even though the club will not be in Europe next season.
De Zerbi could yet emerge as a contender for the Manchester United and Liverpool jobs, if Arne Slot leaves Anfield, but the Italian is believed to be open to taking over at Spurs if the club can secure Premier League status for next season.
De Zerbi took over at Marseille in the summer of 2024 after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion, where he spent just under two years in charge. He led Marseille to second in Ligue 1 last season, but has also said he would like to manage a leading Premier League club one day.
His front-foot style of attacking football would be popular with Tottenham supporters, many of whom would like Pochettino to return. The Argentine is committed to the United States national team until the end of this summer’s World Cup.
Closing on Kehl
Sources in Germany believe Kehl is in the frame for the vacant Spurs post to work in a multi-sporting director model following the departure of Fabio Paratici.
Telegraph Sport first revealed that Tottenham had made checks on Dougie Freedman and Chelsea co-sporting director Paul Winstanley as part of their hunt.
It is understood that Freedman has spoken to Spurs on more than one occasion, but there are doubts over whether the former Crystal Palace transfer chief will replace Paratici. Freedman only joined Al-Diriyah, in Saudi Arabia’s second tier, last year.
Winstanley is contracted to Chelsea until 2031 and is not expected to quit Stamford Bridge, but Kehl is now out of work and available after four years as Dortmund’s sporting director.
It is claimed that Kehl was in London for a meeting last week, but it is unclear whether that was related to the Tottenham job.
Spurs have not commented on their search for a sporting director with the process described as “ongoing”. Johan Lange still remains in post and could work with the new recruit if he survives the club’s crisis this season.
Lange is already under scrutiny from Spurs fans and his position could come under threat if the club are forced to make another managerial change or do not escape relegation danger.
Some sources claim that Spurs want to make two new appointments for their football department, but there had been a plan until recently for Lange to continue working on the data-side of the club’s recruitment.
At Dortmund, Kehl was responsible for the signings of Nico Schlotterbeck, Serhou Guirassy, Felix Nmecha, Karim Adeyemi and Jobe Bellingham.
His departure from the club was announced by Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken, who said: “The summer is the right time for a change. To allow both sides to prepare, we mutually agreed to an immediate termination of Sebastian’s contract.
“Sebastian and I also share a long history. We not only played together for Borussia Dortmund, but we also won the German championship together in 2002. Sebastian has made enormous contributions to our club.”
Kehl, a former Dortmund captain who led his side to back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, said it “has been a part of my life for half my life, and I have an extremely strong connection to this great club ... Dortmund, the incredible stadium, and the Südtribüne [south stand] will always hold a special place in my heart. It has been an honour.”