There is no doubt that after the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham Hotspur, there was renewed hope that the club could maintain their Premier League status.
The Lilywhites have been in a desperate situation for months and the Italian has been selected to help lift the team out of the relegation zone over the next seven games.
Given the short time left in the campaign, it will be vital that the 46-year-old makes an immediate impact once he takes the reins in north London.
Given the club’s exit from the FA Cup, he will spend an extended period of time working closely with the first-team players to give the team the best chance of turning things around.
But regardless of the ongoing relegation battle, it is certain that the new manager is working closely with the board on potential plans for the summer period.
Spurs enter race to sign £42m star
Spurs are said to have expressed interest in signing a number of top talents over the past few months, but no deals have yet been finalized by the summer period.
West Ham United star Crisencio Somerville has emerged as a potential target in recent days, with his form for the Hammers no doubt attracting attention.
The 24-year-old has scored five goals in 24 league appearances so far this season, a record that will play a key role in securing their place in the top flight.
But he is not the only player Somerville is keeping an eye on at the moment, with 18-year-old centre-back Karim Koulibaly also receiving praise from behind-the-scenes staff.
According to Football FanCast’s sources, the Lilywhites have emerged as the main candidates to sign the Werder Bremen star, who has played 22 times in the Bundesliga this season.
The newspaper also states that the player could well be keen to move during the summer, but only if the deal is beneficial to him and his current employers.
An off-season deal could be expensive for De Zerbi’s side, with the German side currently demanding a transfer fee of up to 50 million euros (approximately 4.2 billion yen) for the youngster.
Why Koulibaly could be the next Caicedo after De Zerbi
Over the course of his managerial career, Spurs manager De Zerbi has become known for his ability to develop young talent, as seen with Moises Caicedo at Brighton.
The Ecuadorian international arrived in 2021 as an unknown teenager to many, and the Italian delivered a breakthrough season for the 24-year-old in 2022/23.
In a season like this, the midfielder would play in all but one Premier League game and would undoubtedly be one of the manager’s star players as the Seagulls finished sixth.
As a result of his time under the manager, Caicedo will join Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for a staggering £115m, an English record deal at the time.
Record transfer sales for Premier League clubs
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Following his appointment at Spurs, De Zerbi will no doubt be looking to have a similar impact on young players and the potential arrival of Koulibaly.
The 18-year-old is clearly operating in a slightly different capacity, but could benefit greatly from the manager’s ability to get the best out of his young stars.
This deal could be a big deal for the Lilywhites, but it would also allow them to acquire yet another great prospect for their immediate and long-term future.
His stats this season at Bremen certainly make for interesting reading and the teenager could be a huge asset to north Londoners De Zerbi.
Koulibaly has started 20 games in the Bundesliga this season and also scored his first first-team goal in a 3-3 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in August.
He has a reputation for being a capable option in possession, having completed 86% of his attempted passes so far in 2025/26.
The German has also completed 71% of his dribble attempts so far and could be the perfect option in De Zerbi’s preferred possession-based system.
But he was equally impressive without the ball, going on to rack up 1.2 tackles and make 7.8 defensive contributions per 90 points – despite his young age.
Karim Koulibaly – Bundesliga statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (every 90) | tally |
games played | twenty two |
goals and assists | 1 |
Pass accuracy | 86% |
Dribbling completed | 71% |
The tackle I made | 1.2 |
Contribution in defense | 7.8 |
Clearance has occurred | 4.8 |
aerial won | 48% |
Koulibaly also completed 4.8 clearances per 90 and won 48% of his aerial duels. This already proves his great ability even without the ball at his feet.
It remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites will meet his current asking price, but the aforementioned stats highlight the star quality he has at both ends of the pitch.
If he moves to North London and develops as well as Caicedo, the deal would be monumental and the club would have another top-flight young signing.
New Timo Werner will be furious at Spurs appointing De Zerbi
De Zerbi joining Spurs may not be a popular move with everyone in the N17.
