Roberto De Zerbi has told Mikey Moore he has no future in Tottenham’s first-team plans for the coming season, with the young winger set to be loaned out for a second successive year, according to GiveMeSport.
Moore, who spent last season on loan at Rangers, was described in the same report as ‘special’ – which is precisely the kind of compliment that sounds considerably better when it comes with a squad number rather than a suitcase. De Zerbi has made it plain that whatever Moore is, he is not a priority this year.
“No pathway for him this year” – Roberto De Zerbi, according to GiveMeSport
Moore himself has publicly acknowledged he would be open to returning to Ibrox, and Rangers are understood to be keen on re-signing him. Clubs in the Bundesliga and Eredivisie are also said to have registered interest. Tottenham, for their part, have zero interest in a permanent sale.
Where This Fits in De Zerbi’s Rebuild
De Zerbi has moved quickly to reshape the squad after back-to-back 17th-place finishes. Tottenham have already brought in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Mateus Fernandes, with a £100m agreement for Sandro Tonali also confirmed. The attacking department is next on the list, with GiveMeSport reporting that Manchester City’s Savinho is the priority target at this stage.
Against that backdrop, Moore’s exclusion is pragmatic rather than damning. De Zerbi has taken clear control of squad decisions at Tottenham, and a manager working to pull a club out of a relegation cycle has limited appetite for developmental gambles in attacking positions he is actively trying to reinforce with proven players.
The comparison with Lucas Bergvall’s uncertain position under De Zerbi is hard to ignore – Moore is not an isolated case but part of a broader picture of young players being squeezed by the demands of an urgent rebuild.
What Happens Next
Pre-season will be Moore’s next checkpoint. If De Zerbi sees nothing that changes his mind during those weeks, the loan will be confirmed and the question becomes where – Rangers being the most publicly interested party, though the club’s change of manager at Ibrox adds a wrinkle. Rangers’ stance on the loan remains active, but nothing is settled yet.
Tottenham are not moving Moore on permanently, which at least signals they believe he has value worth protecting. Whether protecting it on the bench at Spurs would serve him better than regular minutes elsewhere is a debate De Zerbi has already resolved for himself.
