Spurs in a spin: Thiago Motta on radar as De Zerbi and Poch circle

Tottenham’s season has veered from wobbly to downright worrying, and the board are already sounding out alternatives if Igor Tudor can’t stop the slide. Word from Italy is that Thiago Motta — lately of Juventus — has emerged as a genuine option, while Roberto De Zerbi and the ever-familiar Mauricio Pochettino are also being weighed up for the summer.

Manager hunt gathers pace

Italian outlet TuttoSport reports that Spurs are keen on Motta as a potential successor to Tudor, whose short-term deal runs only until season’s end. The pressure gauge is in the red: three games, three losses, and next up a daunting Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Keep this form up in the league and Tottenham won’t just be glancing over their shoulders — they’ll be staring straight down the trapdoor.

Motta: free agent with pedigree — and a point to prove

Motta has been out of work since his Juventus stint ended last March — the very seat Tudor then took in Turin. He’s managed four clubs in Italy and sits on an overall win rate around the 40% mark. No Premier League miles on the clock, true, and no experience outside Serie A, but he’s widely respected on the continent; CBS Sports’ Francesco Porzio has even placed him among Europe’s more highly-rated up-and-comers. Crucially for Spurs, he’s available and wouldn’t require a wrangle with a current employer.

De Zerbi and Pochettino in the frame

De Zerbi remains a serious contender — a coach whose stock hasn’t wavered with decision-makers across Europe. And then there’s the romantic option: Pochettino. Reports suggest he could be in the mix after the World Cup later this year. Whether sentiment or a clean break is the smarter play is the billion-pound question.

This is a season-defining call for the Tottenham hierarchy: do they back Tudor to turn a rut into a revival, or act fast to stop a nosedive? For those tracking the market chatter, the next-manager odds across the best betting sites are already twitchy — a sure sign the industry smells change in the air.

Grim reality: form must flip — and fast

Recent upticks for Nottingham Forest and West Ham have tightened the noose, and Spurs remain winless in 2026. Carry on like this and relegation stops being a scare story and becomes a spreadsheet. A club of Tottenham’s size and spend bouncing into the Championship would be a catastrophe on every level.

The verdict

Motta offers availability and a clear coaching identity, De Zerbi brings Premier League know-how and swagger, and Pochettino supplies nostalgia with unfinished business. Any of the three could steady the ship — but dithering is not an option. Spurs need a decision and a direction, immediately, or the summer shortlist will be drawn up from the wrong division entirely.