Igor Tudor has departed Tottenham Hotspur by mutual consent after a mere 44 days in charge.
The club’s chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange are now tasked with the job of appointing his replacement.
De Zerbi a Primary Target
Roberto de Zerbi is a primary target for Tottenham, according to sources. Spurs reportedly tried to ascertain whether the Italian is open to the job prior to announcing Tudor’s departure. De Zerbi is available following his exit from Marseille earlier this season.
Multiple sources have told BBC Sport that initial indications are De Zerbi is open to becoming the club’s next permanent head coach, but would prefer to wait until the end of the season when he knows whether the club are still in the Premier League.
De Zerbi was in charge of Brighton for two seasons in the Premier League.
Other Potential Candidates
There is believed to be an interest in appointing Sean Dyche on a short-term basis. Dyche is available after his sacking by Forest in February.
It is understood Dyche would seek a minimum 18-month contract if he was to replace Tudor, which could prove a stumbling block towards any agreement.
Mauricio Pochettino would be the choice of many supporters given his relatively successful previous reign at the club, but his commitments to the USA national team before this summer’s World Cup would make such an immediate move extremely difficult.
Candidates with Tottenham connections such as Ryan Mason, Harry Redknapp and Tim Sherwood would be open to taking the job on an interim basis until the end of the season, while current player Ben Davies has also been considered as a possible short-term fix.
Former Monaco head coach Adi Hutter is another potential candidate, while former players Glenn Hoddle and Chris Hughton have also been touted as interim appointments.
Tudor’s Abrupt Exit
It is understood Tottenham had resolved to part ways with interim boss Tudor following last Sunday’s 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest. The result left them just one point clear of the relegation zone.
However, the club wanted to give the Croat a period of time to mourn the death of his father last weekend.
It now remains to be seen whether Tottenham renew their efforts to land former Brighton boss De Zerbi immediately following Tudor’s departure.