Tottenham Hotspur have offered Roberto De Zerbi a lucrative deal that comes close to Mikel Arteta’s terms at Arsenal, as the Gunners’ bitter rivals desperately attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Lilywhites sacked Igor Tudor on Sunday after the Croatian manager failed to win any of his five league matches in charge. The former Juventus boss leaves the North London club in a perilous position, just a point above the drop zone, while neighbours Arsenal are on the brink of winning the title.
In a desperate attempt to prevent this unprecedented relegation, Spurs have moved to appoint De Zerbi, reportedly offering him a remunerative contract that will place him amongst the highest earners in the Premier League.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Roberto De Zerbi signs in as new Tottenham coach until June 2031.
“I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world”.
“In all my discussions with the Club’s leadership, their ambition for the… pic.twitter.com/nb2C8cmDWN
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 31, 2026
Where Roberto De Zerbi will rank in Premier League salary table
While Arsenal are on the precipice of a historic season, things down the road at Tottenham couldn’t be more different. Spurs are set to appoint their third coach of the campaign, after Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor’s disastrous stints were brought to an end.
Former Brighton manager De Zerbi is the latest to take on the role in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium dugout, and the Italian now has seven matches to save the Lilywhites from an embarrassing season.
How Arsenal’s rivals ultimately ended up attracting such a coveted head coach to such a perilous job isn’t clear, although it’s likely to be due to the financial terms that were offered to him. Reports over the international break indicated that De Zerbi wasn’t willing to take the job at this point, and that he was waiting until the summer to see if they had avoided relegation.
In fact, several outlets suggested that interim coaches like Sean Dyche, Glenn Hoddle and Tim Sherwood were being considered, with De Zerbi’s lack of interest in entering a relegation battle at such a critical point prompting Spurs to turn to these potential candidates.
However, after seemingly spending a lengthy period negotiating with the ex-Marseille boss, the two parties have come to an agreement that involves a financial package that has attracted the tactician to the role.
According to talkSPORT, De Zerbi has signed a five-year contract on terms that will position him as the third-highest-paid manager in the Premier League. Only Pep Guardiola and Arteta – who earns a purported £15 million a year – will out-do De Zerbi in the managerial salary table.
Not only will his base salary exceed most managers’ in world football, but he’s also been promised a lucrative bonus if Spurs stay up, according to TEAMtalk.
🇮🇹📉 Roberto De Zerbi's record in the Premier League. (@skysports) pic.twitter.com/GwoanaKOO0
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 31, 2026
Arsenal fans shouldn’t worry about De Zerbi’s Tottenham credentials
While De Zerbi is undoubtedly a talented coach with a clear philosophy that works, Arsenal fans shouldn’t be overly concerned about their dream season not materialising.
Gunners supporters will have spent the last few weeks dreaming of a treble coinciding with Spurs losing their Premier League status. This is still very much on the cards.
De Zerbi’s system relies on having excellent passers at the base of his team. He instructs his defenders and deep midfielders to hold on to the ball, draw in the press then play around that press with their passing quality.
This specific attribute is desperately lacking in the current Spurs squad, and that means they’re unlikely to be capable of playing in the manner De Zerbi wants. Unfortunately for the Italian, if he tries to implement his style, it’ll end miserably. Tottenham will consistently give up goals by turning the ball over in their own half, while they won’t be capable of progressing the ball into their forward players.
The divisive manager isn’t renowned for adapting to the players at his disposal, and thus, there are still significant reasons to believe that Spurs won’t avoid relegation. Arsenal fans can rest assured.