View: Underrated 66% Tottenham ace should be De Zerbi undroppable, but might not play at all

Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso will be waiting anxiously after the club officially confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach.

The Italian has signed a five-year deal and has just seven matches to stop Spurs from dropping into the Championship, with just one point separating them from the bottom three.

However, he does not have a relegation clause that would allow him to walk away at the end of the campaign, effectively tying his long-term future to the North London side.

This could be both good news and bad news for Danso, who has impressed this campaign despite the wider failings around him. In this new era, there are no guarantees for minutes.

De Zerbi’s first Tottenham match will be the trip to Sunderland on April 12, and it remains to be seen whether he chooses to refresh his backline or stick with the old guard.

Kevin Danso must keep Tottenham starting spot

Igor Tudor trialled his defenders in different positions in the weeks leading up to his departure, with Pedro Porro pushing further forward and Micky van de Ven moved to left-back.

That allowed Danso to slot in at centre-back alongside Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin, but the trio could be prised apart by De Zerbi, who is likely to switch to a flat back four.

The 46-year-old might, therefore, partner Romero and Van de Ven together, opting for a tried and tested formula for the run-in. This, though, would be enormously harsh on Danso.

Indeed, the Swiss international has been rock solid when called upon. He averages nine clearances per match, the most in the Premier League, and has registered 93 in total.

Furthermore, according to Sofascore, he makes roughly 1.1 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per match, and recovers two balls every 90 minutes – a steady output.

If De Zerbi wants to prioritise stability, he should look no further. Danso has won 66 per cent of his aerial duels this season (3.4 per game) and 61 per cent on the ground (1.6).

He is also calm and collected on the ball, boasting a pass accuracy of 85 per cent. De Zerbi’s tactics revolve heavily around possession, seemingly making him a perfect fit.

Regardless, Danso arguably has a bigger role to play than Romero and deserves to start.

How Tottenham could line up under Roberto De Zerbi

The new manager could, however, also use a back five, which would allow Danso to start.

In that system, De Zerbi could theoretically use Guglielmo Vicario as his goalkeeper, with a three-man centre-back unit consisting of Van de Ven, Romero and Danso.

Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie may be given free roam at wing-back, with either Archie Gray or Conor Gallagher to play alongside Lucas Bergvall in a double midfield pivot.

Up front, Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons might support Dominic Solanke, with Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani waiting in the wings as impact substitutes.

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