Plot twist in Roberto De Zerbi to Tottenham: Relegation clause U-turn emerges

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Tottenham Hotspur have now secured the services of Roberto De Zerbi for the foreseeable future, including one unexpected contract detail.

Roberto De Zerbi to Tottenham Hotspur is pretty much a done deal, with the club’s official announcement all that is left for the move to be confirmed.

The former Brighton manager now becomes Tottenham’s third manager of the campaign amid their struggles in the Premier League, where Spurs sit 17th, just one point above the bottom three.

Avoiding relegation is definitely the main focus for De Zerbi, who put in a rather stellar display in his first season with Brighton, leading them to a top-six finish.

Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham contract details revealed: no relegation clause

Tottenham clearly have the long term in mind, having offered Roberto De Zerbi a five-year contract, which he has now accepted.

It is believed that Spurs also put forward a lucrative salary to attract the Italian, with his contract placing him in the same bracket as Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.

There was also a belief that a relegation clause was part of his deal, a clause that would allow De Zerbi to walk away should he fail to keep Spurs in the Premier League this campaign.

Journalist Sami Mokbel has now provided an update, stating that Tottenham agreed a five-year deal with De Zerbi and that no relegation clauses were included in his contract.

Including a relegation clause in the former Seagulls manager’s contract was one of the reasons we believed Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment could end badly, but it is surely a significant relief for Spurs to have him committed long-term.

Spurs turn focus to survival as De Zerbi takes charge

With the managerial search now behind the Lilywhites, focus will now turn back to the task at hand – avoiding relegation.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
15	LeedsLeeds	31	7	12	12	37	48	-11	33
16	Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest	31	8	8	15	31	43	-12	32
17	TottenhamTottenham	31	7	9	15	40	50	-10	30
18	West HamWest Ham	31	7	8	16	36	57	-21	29
19	BurnleyBurnley	31	4	8	19	33	61	-28	20

De Zerbi is not a specialist in the mould of Sean Dyche, but the Italian arrives with Premier League experience from his time at Brighton.

Spurs will now be hoping that De Zerbi can do enough to keep them in the English top flight this campaign before they embark on a major rebuild in the summer.

• READ MORE: Tottenham are making another ‘chaotic’ mistake with Roberto De Zerbi, says Simon Jordan