Paul Merson believes Tottenham bringing in Roberto De Zerbi would be the best money the club have ever spent if it keeps them in the Premier League, but he also warns there are questions over whether Spurs’ squad can adapt quickly to the Italian’s methods.
Tottenham are in talks with the former Brighton manager about the head coach vacancy after Igor Tudor’s exit on Sunday. Spurs sit one point above the bottom three with seven games to go and have reportedly offered De Zerbi a five-year contract. The 46-year-old, a top managerial target in the summer, initially hesitated about taking over mid-season but is now open to the job, with discussions continuing.
Merson says the club must do everything to secure him. “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 said. De Zerbi wanted to join at the start of next season but appears willing to arrive now, and Merson insists Tottenham should “throw the kitchen sink” at convincing him, because relegation would be catastrophic for a club of Tottenham’s size and commercial profile.
He pointed out the wider consequences of dropping out of the Premier League: loss of revenue from matches and other events, scheduling conflicts with concerts and other stadium uses, and the upheaval that relegation would cause to the club’s operations and status. Merson argued that the cost of hiring De Zerbi would be small compared with the financial and reputational damage of going down.
At the same time, Merson warned that De Zerbi’s style is demanding. He praised De Zerbi as a “top, top manager” but noted the Italian’s football requires specific behaviors: centre-backs comfortable on the ball, players able to execute precise positional and passing instructions, and an overall willingness to play expansive, possession-based football. That may be a difficult ask for Tottenham’s current squad, which Merson described as low on confidence.
“You’re asking people to do stuff that is not easy. It’s not easy to play under De Zerbi,” he said, contrasting the tactical intricacy of De Zerbi’s approach with the more straightforward, hard-working style of managers like Sean Dyche. Merson questioned whether Tottenham have time to implement those systems with just seven fixtures left and the pressure mounting.
He flagged the potential psychological impact of dropping into the bottom three, noting how dramatically the situation changes the atmosphere and pressure around the club. A result elsewhere — for example, West Ham beating Wolves — could push Spurs into the bottom three and intensify the challenge.
Merson also defended De Zerbi against the idea that relegation would automatically be his fault. He suggested many players may not be around next season and could issue statements pledging to stay if relegation happened, but then not follow through. “If they got relegated, no way would I sit there and say De Zerbi has done that or that’s his fault,” Merson said. He added that the hierarchy who appoint managers also bear responsibility for these decisions, and often escape scrutiny when things go wrong.
Tottenham’s remaining fixtures:
– April 12: Sunderland (A) – Premier League, kickoff 2pm
– April 18: Brighton (H) – Premier League, kickoff 5.30pm
– April 25: Wolves (A) – Premier League, kickoff 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
If Spurs can persuade De Zerbi to take charge now, Merson believes it would underscore the club’s stature and give them a genuine chance of survival — provided the squad can adapt quickly to his exacting style.