After initially being turned down by Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham explored ambitious moves for two experienced Premier League managers.
The new Tottenham head coach will be hoping to swiftly turn around the team’s fortunes after taking over a team which is winless in the league for well over three months.
De Zerbi has just seven games to save Spurs from the ultimate disaster of relegation, with his challenge kicking off at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Spurs officials have insisted De Zerbi was always their number one target, but it has now been claimed that the Lilywhites also explored two other Premier League managers over recent months.
Tottenham made approaches for Unai Emery and Marco Silva
The Independent have now explained that since Mauricio Pochettino was not available until the end of the World Cup, De Zerbi was the Lilywhites’ top priority.
The report claims that Tottenham have attempted to hire the Italian coach ‘several times’, including after sacking Thomas Frank two months ago.
However, when De Zerbi, who had just left Marseille, turned down the North London club, they explored moves for other alternatives.
It is claimed that Spurs made an informal approach to Fulham regarding Marco Silva and that they also investigated whether it would be possible to get Emery through the door.
However, it is revealed that Aston Villa made it clear that they were not willing to let their head coach leave Villa Park.
Why some at Spurs are confident De Zerbi will keep them up
The Independent back up what other sources are reporting about De Zerbi’s impact at Tottenham, claiming that the Spurs players ‘love’ working with their new boss.
It is revealed that the 46-year-old has made the squad feel engaged and has injected some enthusiasm into Hotspur Way.
As a result, it is asserted that some people in and around the club are ‘conspicuously confident’ that De Zerbi will keep them up.