Tottenham have appointed Roberto de Zerbi as their new head coach after the Italian signed a five-year contract with the club.

The former Brighton boss has seven games to save the club from relegation to the Championship.

If they do go down, he does not have a relegation clause that would allow him to walk away.

In two months’ time, Spurs’ third boss of the season will have either secured his place as a hero at the club, or be forever connected to one of the worst campaigns in their history.

He said: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

“In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season.”

De Zerbi has been the overwhelming first choice to become the club’s new permanent head coach.

BBC Sport reported on Sunday that De Zerbi was the man Spurs wanted to replace Igor Tudor, who officially left the club by mutual consent over the weekend.

Talks have been ongoing since Sunday and those discussions have been successful.

De Zerbi was always open to taking the Spurs position, but it is understood he initially showed a reluctance to accept the job before the end of the season.

But the coach, who left Marseille earlier this year, has been persuaded to take the job immediately.

Tottenham are 17th in the Premier League, just one point outside of the relegation zone and without a win in the competition in 2026.

Should they fail to beat the drop, it would go down as one of the league’s most remarkable relegations.

Sporting director, Johan Lange, said: “Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now.

“He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football, and brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League.”

After guiding Brighton to European qualification during his stint in the Premier League between 2022 and 2024, De Zerbi took Marseille to second in Ligue 1 last season before leaving in February.

The Italian’s first match as Tottenham boss will be a trip to Sunderland on 12 April, followed six days later by a home game against his former club Brighton. Their remaining fixtures are home matches against Leeds and Everton, and trips to Wolves, Aston Villa and Chelsea.

“He will be having his own way – he’s quite a character,” former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He’s a very outspoken manger. He’s a manager in a similar way to Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte that Tottenham have had in the past.”