Paul Merson has predicted why Roberto De Zerbi has decided to take the Tottenham Hotspur job now rather than in the summer.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, De Zerbi initially informed Spurs that he wanted to wait until the summer. However, the Italian changed his mind after Tottenham decided to offer him a five-year contract.
In fact, according to some sources, De Zerbi is set to become one of the highest-paid managers in the Premier League if he accepts Spurs’ offer.
Not everyone agrees that the Italian is the right fit for Tottenham right now, but one pundit believes the Lilywhites were not left with much choice.
Paul Merson claims Tottenham had no choice but to throw kitchen sink at Roberto De Zerbi
Merson believes the financial perks offered by Tottenham Hotspur are what led the former Brighton boss to change his mind about waiting until the summer.
However, he insisted that Spurs had no choice but to go all out for the 46-year-old, given the predicament they find themselves in.
When asked if the financial incentives offered to De Zerbi are what led him to change his mind and accept the job immediately, Merson told Sky Sports: “100 per cent. There was talk that he wanted to come in at the start of next season, and he’s going to come in now. They (Tottenham) have to throw the kitchen sink at him. They have to.
“They cannot afford to go down. It’s unthinkable, so you’ve got to take that chance. Whatever the bonus is (for De Zerbi for averting relegation), it’s a cup of tea in football terms if he keeps them up, cos if he doesn’t keep them up, everything goes out of the window.
“They are a business now. They get concerts, they’ve got go-karting, and American football. You’ve got to throw another four home games on top (in the Championship), and all of a sudden, you cannot be booking Robbie Williams to do a concert, cos you might be in the playoffs.”
Merson claims De Zerbi’s impending arrival shows the pull Spurs have
The pundit insisted that for Tottenham to manage to attract such a highly-rated coach when they are on the brink of the relegation zone shows the size of the club.
He suggested that many clubs in the Premier League would happily take De Zerbi if they could.
On the Italian’s expected arrival at N17, Merson added: “It just shows you how big Tottenham are that they can get him (De Zerbi). This lad is a top, top manager that a lot of clubs would have. They would have him, but Spurs have had good managers, they have had very good managers, and look where they are. They are 17th in the league.
“The worst thing that can happen to them is West Ham beating Wolves. When they drop into that bottom three, it’s a different game. The pressure is severely on them.”
Watch Merson’s full comments below: