Roberto De Zerbi is back in the Premier League after signing a long-term deal with Tottenham as Igor Tudor’s successor.
After his successful stint with Brighton, a return to England was always on the cards for the Italian, who is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in world football currently.
After leaving his role at Marseille by mutual consent in February, De Zerbi was set to take a break until the end of the season.
However, things changed quickly when Tottenham made a move for him as he agreed to join the club without a relegation clause.
And now, if reports are to be believed, he had a conversation with the Manchester United hierarchy before agreeing to move to North London.
De Zerbi ‘sounded out’ Manchester United
Much like Tottenham, Manchester United have also endured a turbulent spell with managers, with Michael Carrick currently in charge of the club on an interim basis.
However, he isn’t likely to get the job permanently, so they will make another change in the dugout at the end of the season.
Read More: What the Tottenham players think about Roberto De Zerbi after first training session
TalkSPORT reveal that De Zerbi ‘sounded out’ Manchester United to see if they would want him in the future, to which the Red Devils responded that he wouldn’t be in the running there.
Shortly afterwards, Tottenham agreed to make De Zerbi the third-highest-paid manager in the Premier League, an offer which was too big to refuse.
The Italian has had an eventful spell over the past few months and will look to put it behind him to focus on the task in hand: save Tottenham from relegation.
Tottenham did well to appoint De Zerbi
Tottenham didn’t want to wait until the summer to make a permanent appointment as that would have meant appointing another interim coach for seven Premier League games.
Additionally, in the summer, the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool could be on the lookout for a manager as Carrick only has a short-term deal at Old Trafford, while Arne Slot’s future is currently hanging by a thread at Anfield.
The North London outfit have splashed the big bucks on De Zerbi, but considering the managerial market, it could prove to be an inspired decision in the coming years if he makes the club his own and decides to stay for the long haul.
