If Tottenham get relegated here are the 11 players Roberto De Zerbi would build around

Let's stare into the abyss if the worst happened and Tottenham's horrendous season ended with them plunging into the Championship

There would be a fire sale if Tottenham were to end this miserable season with their first relegation in almost half a century and then they would have to decide who they build a team around to battle back into the Premier League.

Spurs have had a disastrous campaign, without a win in 14 games in the top flight and just seven victories in the competition all season to their name. They sit 18th in the Premier League table and two points from safety with only six games remaining as Roberto De Zerbi tries to lift his downbeat squad before it's too late.

We want Tottenham to stay up and hope they wake up in time to save themselves but for the first time in decades relegation is a very real possibility if they don't. De Zerbi has promised on a couple of occasions now that he will remain in charge next season if the worst were to happen.

So what would a Spurs team look like in the Championship under the Italian? Who would stay? Who would have to be sold? Who would be loaned out temporarily in the hope that a year later Tottenham might be back in the Premier League? That's no guarantee in itself because the Championship is a notoriously difficult league and sometimes clubs just keep on sliding down.

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The Lilywhites would suffer reported losses of anywhere between £250million and £275million if they went down, regardless of the parachute payments, not to mention the job losses and sponsorship loss relegation would prompt within the company.

Most of the players have relegation wage cut clauses but many of the big names would still need to be sold to cover the huge losses and allow Spurs to buy players who could help them get back up to the top flight.

We're going to assume that the entire back four of captain Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie depart because of the prices they would fetch. Guglielmo Vicario, Rodrigo Bentancur, Djed Spence, Radu Dragusin and Pape Matar Sarr would also have suitors for reasonable fees.

Strikers also fetch a good price so Dominic Solanke and Richarlison would attract plenty of interest even if both would score plenty in the Championship. Decisions would have to be made over recent signings Conor Gallagher and Xavi Simons as well with both big earners even with any potential wage cuts and likely to have interest from elsewhere.

Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani's loans would end and both would return to Bayern and PSG respectively, while decisions over Ben Davies and Yves Bissouma's expiring contracts would have to be made, with the latter containing an extension year.

Then there's the loaned out players. It could be the perfect time to bring back Luka Vuskovic to make him a mainstay of the defence for years to come but the flipside is that he's beyond this level now and is being eyed up by the biggest clubs in the world.

The teenager would like to play with his brother Mario next season at Hamburg. In a relegation scenario, perhaps Tottenham put off his return for a year to keep him happy. Or will they simply have to think of themselves and either bring him back or accept a huge bid for someone they haven't even played yet? It would be lucrative but crazy to develop a star player for someone else.

Vuskovic would be in our list but here are 11 other players Spurs might build a squad around. It's not a starting XI and you cannot predict what offers might come in for most of them or whether any might kick up a fuss and put in a transfer request. We'll explain as much as we can as we go along.

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Archie Gray

Let's start with Archie Gray. He only turned 20 last month yet has played 79 times already for Spurs. On Sunday he became the second youngest Tottenham player to make 50 Premier League appearances for the club, just 19 days older than Aaron Lennon was.

There will be a huge amount of interest in Gray from the top clubs because he's going to become a big player. That's why the north London club must keep hold of him. The midfielder has Championship experience, reaching the play-off final with Leeds, and has added to that with what he's gone through over recent seasons in the Premier League and in the Europa League and Champions League.

Tottenham would be absolutely mad to let him go as with a contract until 2030 he could be a future captain for them and would be a cut above in the Championship if they did go down.

Lucas Bergvall

The same again. Lucas Bergvall will have a long line of top level suitors across Europe looking to snap him up and benefit from the player he is going to become.

Tottenham though have the 20-year-old Swede on a very long contract until 2031 and he will not be one of their big earners. With players like Gray and Bergvall there would be a strong logic to the north London club handing them new deals, if they would accept them, to bolster their wages back up above any relegation clause cut levels to keep them happy as stars of the long-term.

Antonin Kinsky

With Vicario seemingly set for a return to Italy this summer, Antonin Kinsky showed on Sunday that he has plenty to offer and at just 23 would have the chance to stake a long term claim for the job between the sticks.

Whether they stay up or not, Spurs will likely want to bring an experienced goalkeeper in to compete with Kinsky but the step down might hand the young Czech, who also has a contract until 2031, more of a chance to come out on top depending on the level of the new arrival.

Kevin Danso

With the likely exodus of defenders any potential relegation would bring, Kevin Danso steps forward as a potential player to remain. His physical style would work in the Championship, even though he's better than that, and his character would be important to a rebuilt squad.

The Austria international would have the chance to make the spot his own and if Vuskovic were to stay then he would be an experienced guiding hand for the youngster as he would for someone like academy product Jun'ai Byfield.

Mikey Moore

This should happen regardless of what comes next for Tottenham but they have to get Mikey Moore back and involved again in the first team set-up.

He's still just 18-years-old but has had a hugely important loan move at Rangers with 42 matches under his belt in a season in which he had to overcome early hurdles with the fans unhappy with him in Russell Wilson's struggling team. Then Danny Rohl came along and unlocked Moore and now the Rangers supporters adore the attacker and want him to stay next season.

As with Vuskovic, there could be some sense to sending Moore out again to continue developing at a higher level, but as a Tottenham academy product he's exactly the type of player who should be brought through if the worst happens.

James Maddison

James Maddison is nearing his return from eight months out with a cruciate ligament injury and De Zerbi will be hoping he might be able to play a couple of games before the Premier League season comes to a close.

But what about next season? Maddison will of course have his sights set higher than the Championship but in a season when he turns 30 and is going to be feeling his way back into football again he probably won't get a move to a club bigger than Spurs, even if they are in the league below. So it might not be the worst thing for him to stay and lead the north London outfit back up as captain.

Some clubs might be wary of signing a player so soon after a cruciate ligament injury as well so Maddison could end up being a star again for Spurs and if it must be in the Championship then it's a division he's played almost 50 games in so knows well.

Mathys Tel

There will be interest in Mathys Tel from across Europe, especially back in the Bundesliga, but the 20-year-old French attacker has taken Tottenham to his heart and is known to genuinely care about the people working inside the club and the consequences relegation would have.

If Spurs were to go down then he might be the kind of player who sticks around and really finds his feet in English football by taking a step down before flying into the Premier League the next time out.

Dejan Kulusevski

A bit like Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski has missed an entire season of his career so making a move this summer looks less likely than for others because of concerned suitors and also a need to gradually build back into the game.

The Swede's patella injury has been a complicated one and his return date has been pushed back and back. He still hopes to be back in time for the World Cup after a recent small procedure to clean out his knee and his potential involvement in that would help De Zerbi going into pre-season.

Kulusevski, still just 25 until later this month, would be a level above most Championship players if he could get anywhere back to where he was with Tottenham and that would help them in any potential quest to get back up.

Will Lankshear

Another academy player shining on loan who could get his big chance if Tottenham were to go down. Like Moore, Will Lankshear has enjoyed a big season of development and has done so in the Championship with struggling Oxford United.

The 20-year-old has scored 10 goals for the relegation battlers despite their struggles and has registered five goal involvements in United's past eight matches and is giving them a chance of avoiding the drop. If Spurs were to go down then Lankshear would be perfectly placed to benefit from any striker sales at the club.

Mohammed Kudus

There's always at least one big star player who stays after a relegation and Mohammed Kudus might be the one for Tottenham if they do go down, depending on when he returns from his injury.

The 25-year-old suffered a setback last week as he returned to training following his quad injury suffered in January. Spurs confirmed that the Ghana international will require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery, which means it could be months out again.

If Kudus misses the World Cup and does not return until closer to next season then any summer suitors might be concerned. Also Tottenham spent £55million on Kudus and they would have to recoup or better that to consider selling him.

Wilson Odobert

Spurs' injury list is so long that a number of long-term absentees might end up returning to a club in a different division. That could be the case for Wilson Odobert who is unlikely to be back in action after his cruciate ligament injury until towards the end of this year.

The 21-year-old was just starting to find his feet for Tottenham before that injury in February and he did play one game in the Championship for Burnley before signing for the north London club.

The others

Let's make it clear. We're not saying the players who aren't in this list are desperate to go or the ones above will be desperate to stay. Others mentioned before the list may well end up staying at Spurs next season regardless of what the next six matches bring and some above may depart.

There are also others out on loan or in the academy who could become big players for the club if they were to go down. Alfie Devine, Ashley Phillips and Jamie Donley are experienced and talented Championship players, while Manor Solomon starred in the league for Leeds.

Kota Takai and Yang Min-hyeok could also break through for Tottenham, although their struggles in Germany and the Championship have not helped their cause. Dane Scarlett will be hoping his time is still to come although it feels like his future may lay elsewhere after another tough season.

Mason Melia, James Wilson, Luca Williams-Barnett, Tynan Thompson and Byfield will all be looking to break through from the academy, while George Abbott, Tyrese Hall and Yusuf Akhamrich have all shone lower down the Football League.

Hopefully Spurs do not get relegated but one thing is for certain, it will be a very different looking Tottenham Hotspur if they do.