Five rounds into the Premier League season, Tottenham sit bottom of the table, and after a summer of multi-million-pound investment, Roberto De Zerbi’s position as manager is now under serious threat. The Italian’s plight has been made worse by explosive claims from former players. Neal Maupay, the 30-year-old Marseille forward, said publicly that he was cut from the squad last season, barred from the dressing room and had his belongings moved to a temporary building at the back of the training ground. De Zerbi had once called the French striker his own son, a remark Maupay dismissed with a sharp riposte. “I don’t treat my kids like that at home,” he said.
Arthur Vermeeren, the 21-year-old Belgian midfielder, told a similar story, saying De Zerbi left him out of the side for months at Marseille after he lost a duel. Tottenham’s hierarchy have reportedly handed the Italian a stern ultimatum ahead of the Manchester United game: defeat would see his dismissal made official and final.
