Tuesday’s briefing: De Zerbi deal close and Tuchel plays down Arsenal withdrawals

Roberto De Zerbi is poised to take charge of Tottenham, Thomas Tuchel rejects suspicions over Arsenal withdrawals and Cardiff’s negligence claim against Nantes is dismissed.

Roberto De Zerbi is set to take on the sizeable task of keeping Tottenham in the Premier League after talks between the parties reached an advanced stage, the Press Association understands.

Spurs turned attention back to De Zerbi after Igor Tudor’s departure on Sunday and, although PA understands the former Brighton boss initially preferred to wait until the summer to assess his options, he looks set to perform a U-turn and take over immediately.

Reports in De Zerbi’s homeland of Italy on Monday morning stated he was now willing to listen to Tottenham’s advances and had a five-year contract offer on the table, which would make the 46-year-old the club’s fourth head coach in the last 10 months.

Tudor’s shambolic 44-day reign produced five defeats in seven matches alongside a catalogue of questionable tactical choices and only increased the realistic threat of a first relegation since 1977.

Thomas Tuchel has defended the withdrawal of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka from his England squad amid a spate of Arsenal pullouts.

The German coach picked an expanded 35-man squad for the final camp before he makes his World Cup selection, with the first wave of players joined by 11 established names on Friday.

Rice and Saka were among those arrivals and surprisingly left the following day, as did Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke after he suffered an injury in the 1-1 friendly draw against Uruguay.

The fact 10 of the Premier League leaders’ players have left their respective national teams has raised suspicions of club matters taking precedence over country, but Tuchel