Roberto De Zerbi is wasting no time at Tottenham, with Italian legend Alessandro Nesta reportedly having been offered a position within his backroom staff. De Zerbi has been lured back to the Premier League and was unveiled as the new Spurs manager on Tuesday afternoon. He is already identifying his key allies to help him steer the club clear of Premier League relegation and has set his sights on one of the finest defenders of the 2000s.

Italian publication Tuttosport reports that Nesta, now 50 and a World Cup winner in 2006, has been presented with the opportunity to serve as De Zerbi's assistant manager. He is currently weighing up the proposal, having solely operated as a head coach throughout his managerial career to date. Nesta transitioned into management following his retirement, taking charge of Miami FC, Perugia, Frosinone, Reggiana and Monza.

Last season, he was relieved of his duties at Monza in December 2024 with the club rooted to the bottom of Serie A, before being remarkably reinstated just seven weeks later.

He was unable to spark a turnaround in fortunes as Monza dropped down to Serie B after finishing 20th, and Nesta now has the prospect of working beyond Italian football's borders.

He would bring considerable experience and authority given his remarkable achievements as a player. Nesta represented Lazio in the early 2000s before becoming an integral part of the AC Milan squad that conquered the Champions League, lifting the trophy in both 2003 and 2007.

De Zerbi and his coaching team will oversee their inaugural match at Sunderland a week on Sunday. The incoming manager said: "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. I'm looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that."

It has been suggested that De Zerbi will receive an annual wage of between £12million and £15million - which will position him as the third-highest paid boss in the Premier League. Despite the danger of relegation, the Italian is not believed to have a release clause in his contract.

De Zerbi was swiftly identified as the club's preferred candidate after Igor Tudor's disappointing stint was brought to a close after just 44 days and no victory. German managers Edin Terzic and Marco Rose and two-time former caretaker head coach Ryan Mason were other possibilities Tottenham evaluated.