Roberto De Zerbi contract details emerge as Tottenham hires new head coach

Roberto De Zerbi has agreed to become the next Tottenham manager on a five-year contract, with the Italian set to replace Igor Tudor after just 44 days in charge

Roberto De Zerbi (Image: Getty Images)

Roberto De Zerbi has agreed to take charge as Tottenham's next manager. The Italian tactician was Spurs' preferred choice to succeed Igor Tudor, and negotiations have now been concluded.

The Times reports that terms have been reached on a five-year contract, with a formal announcement expected within the next 24 hours. De Zerbi departed Marseille in February and will now focus his efforts on steering the club away from the Premier League drop zone.

Spurs currently sit 17th, just a single point above the relegation places, having gone 13 matches without a victory. De Zerbi's contract is said to include a substantial bonus should Spurs successfully avoid the drop to the Championship.

Discussions are understood to have largely revolved around the composition of his backroom staff, with consideration given to incorporating someone with existing knowledge of the club.

It has been reported that De Zerbi will command an annual salary of between £12million and £15million, placing him as the third-highest paid manager in the Premier League, behind Pep Guardiola (£20m) and Mikel Arteta (£15m).

This development follows Tudor's brief tenure of just 44 days at the helm, during which he managed only a single league point after replacing Thomas Frank, reports the Mirror.

Former Monaco manager Adi Hutter, German coaches Edin Terzic and Marco Rose, two-time former caretaker head coach Ryan Mason, ex-Tottenham striker Robbie Keane and ex-Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche were all in the frame.

Roberto De Zerbi will take charge of Tottenham's final few games this season(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

However, De Zerbi was always the preferred candidate for chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange.

Spurs' leadership are facing immense pressure to get this appointment right, following a disastrous campaign. They've opted for another managerial change, taking advantage of the international break and this weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals - a competition Spurs are no longer involved in.

De Zerbi's first match at the helm will be away at Sunderland on 12 April. Spurs haven't secured a Premier League victory in 2026, managing five draws and suffering eight defeats in their last 13 fixtures. Tudor's final match in charge was the 3-0 home loss to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on 22 March.

Tudor managed just one point during his spell in charge, from a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, while his sole victory came against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, though it wasn't sufficient to overturn a first-leg deficit.

De Zerbi will be making his return to the Premier League, having previously overseen Brighton between 2022 and 2024. Following Graham Potter's departure in September 2022, De Zerbi steered the Seagulls to sixth place in his first season before securing 11th in 2023/24.

Having departed Brighton by mutual consent in the summer of 2024, he took the reins at Marseille, where he oversaw 39 victories from 69 matches. The 46 year old parted ways with the French giants in February following a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and a Champions League exit at the hands of Club Brugge.

During his maiden season, he steered Marseille to a second-place finish in Ligue 1, before leaving the club sitting in fourth position.