Spurs Swerve Maresca As City Heir Talk Gathers Pace — Romano

Tottenham’s managerial carousel keeps spinning but, if Fabrizio Romano’s latest is anything to go by, it won’t be carrying Enzo Maresca into N17 any time soon. Spurs have parked the long-term search until summer after confirming Igor Tudor as interim boss, and the chatter around North London has quickly homed in on two familiar names: Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi. Maresca? He’s being lined up elsewhere.

Maresca’s path points to Manchester, not N17

Romano’s briefing is blunt: there’s no meaningful movement between Spurs and Maresca. Instead, the Italian is seen as the leading option to inherit the Manchester City dugout when Pep Guardiola eventually calls time. Guardiola’s deal runs to 2027, but City, ever the planners, are drawing up their future, and Maresca sits at the top of that succession chart. In short, don’t expect Daniel Levy to be rolling out the welcome mat for him at Hotspur Way.

Spurs’ shortlist: romance versus revolution

Pochettino represents the emotional reboot many Spurs fans crave — a return to the high-pressing identity and unity he once forged. De Zerbi, meanwhile, is the progressive playmaker’s choice, a coach whose patterns and bravery on the ball would fit this squad like a glove. The snag? Tottenham won’t have a free run at him. As reported this week, De Zerbi knows big jobs could open up at Manchester United and Manchester City this summer, and while he has just left Marseille and is unlikely to jump back in before season’s end, he’ll have suitors queueing in June. Lest we forget, he steered Brighton to a stunning sixth in 2022/23 — the Seagulls’ best-ever Premier League finish.

Chelsea turbulence and the Maresca subplot

Maresca’s Chelsea chapter closed in January, remarkably only months after lifting the Club World Cup to cap his first season at Stamford Bridge. A sour run of league form — one win in seven — and fraying relations upstairs proved terminal. Chelsea moved quickly for Liam Rosenior as successor. Back in North London, Spurs confirmed Tudor’s short-term appointment on Saturday, with the Croatian stepping in after Thomas Frank’s dismissal following an eight-game winless league run.

What it means for Tottenham right now

For Levy and the board, the brief is clear: keep things steady under Tudor, take the long view in the summer, and pick a lane. Is it the homecoming with Poch, or a bold reset with De Zerbi? Either way, Spurs signalled their resolve in January by batting away enquiries from rivals Chelsea and Aston Villa. The project is enticing — a talented squad, a world-class stadium, and the platform to make a statement.

If you’re sizing up the managerial merry-go-round and the odds that whirl with it, the smartest punters keep a close eye on market swings via the best betting sites. Expect more twists before the final whistle on this saga.