Following the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham Hotspur, there is no doubt that there is renewed hope that the club can retain their Premier League status.
The Lilywhites have been in a terrible situation for many months, and the Italian player has been selected to help the team move away from the place they lost in the next seven games.
Given the short time left in the campaign, it is vital that the 46-year-old makes an immediate impact after taking over in North London.
Given the club’s exit from the FA Cup, he will have more time to work with first-team players to give them a better chance to turn their situation around.
However, regardless of the ongoing battle for relegation, the new manager will be working closely with the board on possible plans in the summer window.
Spurs are in the race to sign the £42m star
Spurs have been credited with an interest in a number of top talents over the past few months, with no deals in place ahead of the summer window.
In the past few days, West Ham United star Crysencio Summerville has emerged as a potential target, his form for the Hammers undoubtedly attracting attention.
The 24-year-old has netted five times in 24 league appearances so far, and such a record has played a major role in their hunt for top-flight safety.
However, Summerville isn’t the only player they’re currently eyeing, with 18-year-old defender Karim Coulibaly another name that staff are interested in behind the scenes.
According to Football FanCast sources, the Lilywhites have emerged as serious contenders for the Werder Bremen star, who has featured 22 times in the Bundesliga this season.
The report also claims that the player may be willing to leave in the summer, but only if the deal is beneficial for him and his current employers.
The deal could prove costly for De Zerbi’s men in the off-season, with the German club currently seeking €50m (£42m) for the youngster.
Why Coulibaly will be De Zerbi’s next Caicedo
During his managerial career to date, Spurs manager De Zerbi has become known for his ability to develop young talents – as seen with Moises Caicedo during his time at Brighton.
The Ecuadorian international arrived as an unknown teenager in 2021, with the Italian giving the 24-year-old his first season in 2022/23.
Such a campaign will see the midfielder feature in all but one of the Premier League games, arguably one of the manager’s standout players as the Seagulls finished sixth.
As a result of his time under the manager, Caicedo will join Chelsea for a staggering £115m in the summer of 2023 – a deal that was an English record at the time.
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Following his appointment at Spurs, De Zerbi will no doubt be hoping to have a similar impact with the youngster on the books, or even the possible arrival of Coulibaly.
Although the 18-year-old operates in a slightly different environment, he could benefit greatly from the manager’s ability to get the best out of young stars.
The deal would be expensive for the Lilywhites, but it would also allow them to secure another fantastic prospect for an immediate and long-term future.
His stats for the current campaign at Bremen make for interesting reading, with the youngster capable of being De Zerbi’s biggest asset in North London.
Coulibaly has started 20 times in the Bundesliga this campaign, scoring his first goal in a 3-3 draw with Bayer Leverkusen in August.
He has earned a reputation as a good tackler, after completing 86% of the passes he has attempted so far in the 2025/26 season.
The German has completed 71% of his attempted dribbles, which would make him an ideal option for De Zerbi in his preferred possession-based system.
However, off the ball, he was just as good, after which he won 1.2 tackles and made 7.8 defensive contributions per 90 – despite his young age.
|
Karim Coulibaly – Bundesliga statistics (2025/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Mathematics (90 percentile) |
Mathematics |
|
Games played |
22 |
|
Terms & Conditions |
1 |
|
Pass accuracy |
86% |
|
Dribbles are finished |
71% |
|
The fight is done |
1.2 |
|
Defense contributions |
7.8 |
|
Victims made |
4.8 |
|
Aerials won |
48% |
Coulibaly has produced 4.8 points per 90 and won 48% of his aerial battles – which shows his great ability without the ball at his feet.
It is unclear whether the Lilywhites would be willing to meet his current asking price, but the aforementioned figures highlight the star quality he possesses at both ends of the pitch.
Should he move to North London and flourish like Caicedo did, the deal would be a good one and would see the club land another top youngster.
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