Roberto De Zerbi announced: Winners and losers from Tottenham's manager appointment amid Premier League relegation threat

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager on Tuesday following the dismissal of Igor Tudor.

The Italian has signed a five-year contract, but his immediate priority will be to guide the club to Premier League safety given they are only one point and one place above the relegation zone.

De Zerbi's appointment has not been without criticism, including from the team's own supporters, and there is sure to be uncertainty amongst the playing squad regarding their long-term future.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the winners and losers from Tottenham's decision to hire Roberto De Zerbi.

Winner - Roberto De Zerbi

The undisputed winner from the appointment of De Zerbi is the manager himself given he has secured a five-year deal.

It would not have been surprising if a number of potential coaches were reluctant to take charge of the club due to the threat of relegation, and numerous reports suggested that De Zerbi initially wanted to wait until the end of the season before taking on a new role.

However, the Italian has become one of the Premier League's best paid managers, and his five-year deal represents a huge commitment by Spurs.

Even if the Lilywhites suffer relegation, the 46-year-old will enjoy considerable financial security, but the upside for him if the club survive could be enormous.

Tottenham may not have any other choice but to bow to his demands given the amount of resources they have poured into his contract, and bringing Spurs back to Champions League contention would be a significant achievement to place on his CV.

Winner - Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray

While there may need to be an initial adaptation period for Tottenham's players, De Zerbi's style of football is exciting, and he could help develop young stars such as Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

Midfielders have been the cornerstone of the Italian's expansive style of play, and he has managed to nurture the likes of Moises Caicedo, Yves Bissouma and Alexis Mac Allister.

Gray has been utilised across defence, as well as in midfield, while Bergvall has not always been allowed to showcase his talent with the ball.

The two players are both 20, but they have already worked with Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, so the best thing for their development would be a period of stability.

If Tottenham stick by De Zerbi, he may be able to platform both Gray and Bergvall and become the consistent coaching figure that they need in order to reach their respective potentials.

Loser - Micky van de Ven, Joao Palhinha

Though several players may benefit from playing under the 46-year-old, there are many others that could struggle with their new on-ball demands.

Micky van de Ven has never been a particularly strong passer, but considering players like Lewis Dunk often averaged the most passes at Brighton & Hove Albion, he will likely have to become accustomed to prolonged periods with the ball at his feet.

Midfielder Joao Palhinha was at his best for Fulham when he as able to act as a destroyer, but it is hard to see the veteran adapting well to De Zerbi's system.

Losing the ball in deep areas of the pitch could prove costly, and should the Italian remain in charge of Tottenham in 2026-27, he will almost certainly advocate for Palhinha to leave upon the expiry of his loan.

Fans - Tottenham supporters' uncertainty

The appointment of Roberto De Zerbi has not unified fans in the way that the club may have hoped, with the Tottenham Supporters' Trust saying that it cannot support the decision to hire the Italian because of his support of Mason Greenwood.

De Zerbi also has a history of leaving clubs on bad terms, with the manager having never been in charge of a team for longer than three years.

Tottenham need stability more than anything else, and while the new boss may be able to guide the Londoners to safety, there are serious doubts about whether he will be the right long-term fit despite his contract length.

The Spurs hierarchy appear to have little sense of the direction they want to take the club considering they have lurched from Thomas Frank's rigid style to De Zerbi's expressive style.

The football on the pitch may improve significantly, but key figures behind the scenes have not yet shown they can build squads to suit the manager in the dugout.

If De Zerbi feels dissatisfied with the direction of Spurs, the environment at the club could become even more toxic than it already is.