Should Roberto De Zerbi be in the frame for Premier League jobs?

Roberto De Zerbi’s abrupt departure from Olympique Marseille has reignited the debate over whether the Italian’s coaching brilliance outweighs the turbulence that seems to trail him from one post to the next. With the Premier League’s managerial carousel already spinning—Crystal Palace confirming Oliver Glasner’s exit, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola entering the final months of their contracts, and whispers around Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot—clubs are scanning a market saturated with stellar names. Yet even amid Xabi Alonso, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Xavi, De Zerbi’s phone may still buzz.

The 46-year-old leaves Marseille after 20 months, a 57% win rate—the best of any OM boss this century—and a runners-up finish last term, but also a 12-point deficit to Ligue 1’s summit and a humiliating Champions League first-phase exit against Club Brugge. Those numbers crystallise the De Zerbi paradox: initial tactical uplift followed by second-season friction. At Brighton he guided the Seagulls to a historic sixth-place finish and European qualification, earning public adulation from Pep Guardiola, who labelled him “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.” Yet disagreements over recruitment policy prompted his exit. In southern France, frequent lineup changes, training-ground clashes with midfielder Ismaël Koné, a public row that led to full-back Amir Murillo’s swift sale, and a threat to resign after defeat to Auxerre eroded goodwill despite supportive ownership.

Tottenham, seeking a replacement for the recently dismissed Thomas Frank, have courted De Zerbi before. In 2023 this publication argued his attractive, progressive style made him an obvious candidate to unite squad and fanbase. The Spurs hierarchy must now weigh that promise against a pattern of short-lived harmony. De Zerbi has never needed trophies to stay employable—his lone piece of silverware remains the 2021 Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk—but at 47, and with 462 matches across eight clubs, the clock is ticking to prove he can marry innovation with stability.

Premier League clubs hunting instant uplift will be tempted: he is available, charismatic and tactically daring. Yet the question endures: does the package come with too much volatility? Until De Zerbi answers that on the pitch, his name will hover on the periphery of the top bracket rather than sit at its summit.