Tottenham Hotspur pauses sporting director search as transfer window chaos forces interim solution

Tottenham Hotspur have hit pause on their search for a permanent sporting director, handing transfer oversight to a three-person committee instead.

The interim group consists of Johan Lange, the current technical director, newly installed head coach Roberto De Zerbi, and Rafi Moersen, the club’s Director of Football Operations. Together, they’ll steer the ship through the summer transfer window while Spurs regroup on the bigger question of who actually runs the football side of things long-term.

How Spurs got here

Fabio Paratici departed at the end of the January 2026 transfer window. The search for a replacement kicked off in February 2026. Initially, Tottenham envisioned a co-director model. The club pivoted to targeting what they described as a “world-class” candidate for a singular sporting director role.

Sebastian Kehl, the former Borussia Dortmund sporting director, rejected Tottenham’s approach in June 2026. Rather than rushing into a hire, the club decided to pause the search entirely.

The interim committee

Johan Lange brings continuity as the primary sporting director who has remained embedded in the club’s technical operations since Paratici’s departure.

Roberto De Zerbi brings the tactical vision. As head coach, he knows what type of players he needs to execute his system, and Tottenham have given him a seat at the transfer table.

Rafi Moersen rounds out the trio from the operational side. His role as Director of Football Operations covers the logistics, contracts, and financial parameters of deals.

What this means for Tottenham’s summer and beyond

The club has signaled it will resume the sporting director search after the transfer window closes.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.