Roberto De Zerbi hasn’t even had time to fully unpack his bags at Tottenham Hotspur, and already he’s facing one of the classic managerial challenges — convincing a talented player that their future lies at the club rather than elsewhere. The Italian boss has set his sights on keeping England full-back Djed Spence in north London, and it sounds like he’s ready to make a serious case for it.
Spence has had a complicated relationship with Spurs ever since arriving at the club. Loan spells away have defined much of his time there, with the defender struggling to nail down a regular starting spot in the first team. It’s the kind of situation that can leave any player questioning whether they truly have a long-term future at a club — and understandably so.
But here’s where things get interesting. De Zerbi has built a reputation throughout his coaching career for getting the absolute best out of defenders, particularly those with pace and technical quality in possession. His style of play demands full-backs who can contribute in both phases of the game, pressing high and building from the back with confidence. On paper, Spence fits that profile rather nicely.
The fact that De Zerbi is publicly stating his desire to keep Spence speaks volumes. New managers rarely go out of their way to flag individual players they want to retain unless they genuinely see something worth nurturing. This could be the fresh start that Spence has been quietly waiting for — a manager who actually believes in what he brings to the table and wants to build around his strengths.
Of course, words are one thing and game time is another. Spence will want to see assurances that translate into actual minutes on the pitch, not just warm words in press conferences. The Premier League is brutally competitive, and any player in the prime years of their career needs consistent football to stay sharp and relevant, especially with England squad ambitions potentially still on the horizon.
Whether De Zerbi can seal the deal remains to be seen, but this early show of intent tells us something important about how the new Spurs era might look — and it suggests the manager isn’t afraid to make bold, personal gestures to build the squad he wants.
