Tottenham pursue Roberto De Zerbi for managerial role as fears of drop intensify

Tottenham are battling to stay up and have stepped up efforts to secure Roberto De Zerbi as their next head coach, with key executives putting in significant work to persuade the Italian to step in.

Insiders suggest he has had doubts about the position lately, mainly because of the danger of going down and the possible damage to his coaching reputation.

It seems he first stated that no amount of money would convince him, but the team kept pushing hard to win him over.

By Monday evening, Tottenham were prepared to present De Zerbi with an agreement, hoping he could steady the squad and guide them clear of a fall to the Championship. De Zerbi has meanwhile been pondering his potential methods and the staff he might bring along.

Resolving the coaching issue would ease concerns among the Tottenham leaders, though they realise it offers no sure path to survival. Thus plans for a potential dire outcome are still being discussed quietly.

Insiders confirm that Tottenham's leadership must consider the effects of dropping down and the tricky choices about players that would arise.

Several important stars, such as Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Guglielmo Vicario, have been rumoured to be eyeing departures.

However Tottenham aim to prevent selling all their best talents on the cheap, even with the budget strains that relegation would impose. This calls for alternative ways to handle exits.

A possible approach might involve loaning out certain prominent players, so they can play at a high level elsewhere yet stay linked to Tottenham.

The plan would allow for their return if the side bounces straight back to the Premier League.

Individuals like James Maddison, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus could need inventive ways out, given their appeal and the club's reluctance for permanent sales.

This highlights the careful tightrope Tottenham must walk.

Facing major choices both in matches and behind the scenes, Spurs intend to progress gradually to prevent relegation from turning into an unavoidable outcome.