Tottenham contact free agent to replace Thomas Frank – Contact established for several days

Tottenham Hotspur have already made a move for Roberto de Zerbi after sacking Thomas Frank on Wednesday.

That’s according to Media Foot. The French outlet report that Tottenham are already making moves towards the Italian coach, who is now a free agent.

Frank was sacked on Wednesday morning following the 2-1 loss to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening. That brought an end to a miserable few months in charge after arriving from Brentford in the summer.

He was appointed on a three-year deal to stead the ship after Ange Postecoglou’s two-year reign, but his tenure was marked by a stark contrast between strong European results and a disastrous Premier League campaign that’s left Spurs 16^th in the league. They are currently five points outside the bottom three.

His win percentage was just 27%, the lowest of any permanent Tottenham manager since 2008. There has also been major fan unrest over the style of football, particularly at home.

Now he has departed, the focus is on his replacement. It’s currently unknown if Tottenham plan to hire an interim or bring in his replacement immediately.

According to Media Foot’s information, there’s been contact with De Zerbi either way. He left Marseille this week following the heavy defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The Italian reportedly felt he was no longer the right man for the job. He even waived the remaining 16 months of his contract.

His free agency is likely to make him highly sought-after. And Media Foot’s sources confirm that Tottenham have established contacts for several days. They could wait until the summer, which might tempt De Zerbi.

Tottenham have reportedly made an approach to Thomas Tuchel, but his focus remains on the World Cup with England.

De Zerbi concerns

The big concern for Tottenham would surely be De Zerbi’s time at Brighton. While his tactical style transformed the club and won plaudits, he noticeably suffered in his second season.

Brighton’s domestic form fell off of a cliff in the 2023-24 season while they impressed in Europe. That is worryingly similar to the problems under Frank. And that’s before mentioning the injury concerns which also plagued Brighton that year.

Tottenham will certainly need to consider their options carefully. But given the big payday to Frank, perhaps a free agent is all they can consider.