Tottenham Hotspur are no longer interested in appointing Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager, according to a report from Football Insider.
Who could Spurs appoint to replace Antonio Conte?
There have been multiple people linked with the now vacant manager role at Tottenham, namely Marco Silva, Sergio Conceicao and Thomas Frank, all of whom are said to be held in high regard by chairman Daniel Levy. That same report outlines that Julian Nagelsmann would be open to talks about a switch to N17 following his sacking by Bayern Munich, however the 35-year-old may need time to reflect, rather than immediately undertaking his next role.
In a recent interview with CaughtOffside, journalist Christian Falk detailed that another Bundesliga manager could be considered to replace Conte, with Oliver Glasner said to be 'on the list' and currently 'thinking' about a move to north London.
Now, according to a report from Football Insider, one man that will not be approached by the Tottenham board in the coming weeks is De Zerbi, with the Brighton boss now said to be out of the running.
Despite the fact Spurs have been "hugely impressed" by the 43-year-old since his arrival in the Premier League, Daniel Levy and co have changed their minds and ruled him out as a potential candidate, turning their attentions to other managers on the shortlist. Nagelsmann is now the Lilywhites' top managerial target, as he is considered a more elite manager than De Zerbi, while he would also be cheaper, requiring no compensation after his departure from Bayern Munich.
Would De Zerbi have been successful at Tottenham?
There is some indication that Tottenham may have made a mistake by ruling out the 43-year-old, given how impressive he has been since replacing Graham Potter, leading his side to the FA Cup semi-final, and up to seventh in the Premier League table.
The Seagulls are seven points off the top four with three games in hand, which means that a push for the European places is still very much on the cards, a remarkable achievement for a club of Brighton's size. Several members of the media have hailed the Italian for his "attractive" style of play, while journalist Ryan Adsett has claimed he is on the "elite level" of managers.
That said, Tottenham potentially hiring Nagelsmann is also an exciting prospect, given that he has already won three major trophies in his short managerial career.