Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly ruled himself out of the running to become Tottenham Hotspur's next head coach.
The Lilywhites will conduct a thorough search for a new leader in the summer following Antonio Conte's exit by mutual consent on Sunday evening.
Conte's former lieutenant Cristian Stellini has remained in North London to act as interim head coach for the rest of the season, with Ryan Mason being his right-hand man.
Having maintained Brighton's hopes of European qualification with an attractive brand of attacking football since replacing Graham Potter, De Zerbi has understandably been mentioned as a possible successor to Conte.
However, according to Football Insider, the 43-year-old plans to reject any approach from Tottenham this summer and does not feel that the opportunity has come at the right time for him.
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The report claims that De Zerbi wants to spend at least one more year on the South Coast before potentially moving on, and he is contracted to Brighton for another three years.
As such, the Seagulls would be in line for significant compensation if the Italian departed for Tottenham this summer, and Spurs are not willing to fork out such a fee.
Furthermore, Brighton could apparently try to tie De Zerbi down to a new contract before next season as a reward for the team's continued progress, making it more difficult for Tottenham to lure him to the capital.
De Zerbi previously took charge of Darfo Boario, Foggia, Palermo, Benevento, Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk before moving to Brighton in September, and he has since overseen 13 wins, five draws and seven defeats from 25 games in charge.
Under the 43-year-old's tutelage, Brighton are in the mix for continental football as they sit seventh in the Premier League table, and they will also take on Manchester United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
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Conte was widely expected to depart Spurs at the end of his contract this summer amid mounting tensions, but the Tottenham board took immediate action in the wake of his incendiary attack on his players following their draw with Southampton.
The Italian labelled his players "selfish" and also appeared to point the finger at Daniel Levy and Joe Lewis for Spurs' trophyless streak, which now stands at 15 years since winning the 2007-08 EFL Cup.
Conte's departure by mutual consent was announced on Sunday evening, and Tottenham are thought to have no fewer than 10 shortlisted candidates to replace the 53-year-old.
Ex-Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann has supposedly been contacted regarding the vacancy, but the 35-year-old will wait until the end of the season before making his next career move.
Rumours continue to swirl surrounding a sensational return for Mauricio Pochettino, while Oliver Glasner, Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank, Marco Silva and Sergio Conceicao have all been linked with the role.
Stellini's first game as acting head coach comes away to Everton on Monday night, with Spurs lying fourth in the table but just two point clear of Newcastle United, who have two games in hand.
Ben Knapton
