It was a cold morning in early 2024 when Manchester City staff arriving at the Etihad Campus were left in disbelief.
City are usually best in class when it comes to succession planning for senior executives, but Manchester United had just taken their chief football operations officer, Omar Berrada, from under their noses.
Into the void stepped Rafi Moersen. When Pep Guardiola wanted a player tied down to a new contract, Moersen would be the man tasked with getting it done. His reputation in English football grew rapidly and, now director of football operations at Tottenham Hotspur, he is regarded as a “rising star” off the pitch.
A ‘sharp operator’
At Tottenham, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham remains “top of the tree”, calling the shots. “It’s Vinai, then Rafi, but primarily Vinai,” one source said.
Those who have worked with Moersen consider him a “sharp operator” who has effectively become the club’s second-in-command, overseeing a summer spend of £300m and counting.
A Harvard Business School graduate, Moersen began his career in football with DC United before founding his own consultancy, advising clubs across the United States.
Moersen and De Zerbi’s transfer plans
Sporting director Johan Lange continues to play a key role in Spurs’ transfers, while head coach Roberto De Zerbi has been heavily involved in identifying new players, including Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye – but there is now serious competition from Manchester City after their pursuit of Cody Gakpo fell through.
Crucially, De Zerbi and Moersen have been closely aligned. Moersen’s relationship with Manchester City was instrumental in helping get the Savio and Omar Marmoush deals over the line — the first major business between the two clubs since Kyle Walker’s £45m move north in 2017. Moersen had also identified Savio for City when the Brazilian was playing for Troyes, the French club owned by City Football Group. De Zerbi, meanwhile, had been a long-term admirer of the winger.
Savio scored on debut against Charlton (Photo: Getty)The pair have been on the same page when it comes to trimming the squad. After the 2-0 defeat by Newcastle, De Zerbi revealed that Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr all wanted to leave. The manager has been candid with players about their prospects of regular first-team football, while Moersen has overseen the departures of those unlikely to accumulate significant minutes.
Spurs are looking at options to replace Danso amid interest from Sunderland, while Richarlison has been in talks over a return to Everton; Sarr will join Guglielmo Vicario at Juventus.
Djed Spence could not be guaranteed a starting role at right-back and was sold for £25m to Inter Milan. Former captain Cristian Romero was always expected to leave for Atletico Madrid. Luka Vuskovic’s move to Brighton was more contentious among supporters,
but the 19-year-old was unlikely to start following the arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi. Tottenham stand to make a £38m profit on the Croatian defender. Micky van de Ven has been rewarded with a lucrative new contract and handed the captaincy.
Moersen’s influence has been particularly significant while Tottenham have put the search for a permanent director of football on the backburner. There were discussions with Sebastian Kehl, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, but the two parties did not reach an agreement. Lange will eventually be joined by a replacement for Fabio Paratici, who left for Fiorentina at the end of January.
Revamping the women’s team
Moersen’s remit extends well beyond transfers. He has taken a central role in “player care” and has also been heavily involved in the development of Tottenham’s women’s team.
There has been a renewed push to create a genuine “one club” feel between the men’s and women’s sides. Martin Ho’s team have been active in the WSL market, completing deals for forward Kirsty Hanson from Aston Villa, right-back Alice Sombath from Lyon and midfielder Victoria Pelova, who joined on a free transfer from Arsenal. Martha Thomas and Molly Bartrip are among the high-profile departures.
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Sean Walsh: Tottenham only have two problems – they can’t attack and they can’t defend The Score: Spurs are a mess, Newcastle’s perfect match and bad vibes at CoventryTottenham have also continued to invest in the academy and training ground – including the introduction of a new “tactics room”, with further improvements designed to modernise Hotspur Way.
After the mass injuries of the last two seasons, the medical and performance departments have also been overhauled. Dan Lewindon has replaced Adam Brett as performance director, while Rebecca Caplehorn left earlier this year after serving as head of administration and football governance.
When Daniel Levy stood down as chairman, sources close to the club said his former staff were “mega surprised” by the “ruthlessness” of the restructure. Since then, there has been a record-breaking summer of spending, the football operation has been reshaped and there are plenty of new faces in the boardroom. But a year on, after two defeats from two in the Premier League, Tottenham find themselves in yet another state of flux.
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