Brighton already have Roberto De Zerbi replacement plan amid Real Madrid and Man City links
Brighton are ‘prepared’ for the departure of Roberto De Zerbi, club CEO Paul Barber has revealed to talkSPORT.
But, the Seagulls chief has insisted the south coast side will fight to keep the Italian coach for a great deal longer amid prying eyes from other clubs in England and his homeland.
De Zerbi’s work at the Amex Stadium has seen the 44-year-old linked with a host of jobs over the last six months, including AC Milan and Napoli in Serie A, plus Premier League rivals Tottenham.
He has even been tipped asa future manager of Spanish giants Real Madrid and a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola at Man City.
Many thought it was game over for the overachieving club when Graham Potter was pinched by Chelsea in September 2022, but De Zerbi has taken Brighton to new heights since he replaced the Englishman in the dugout, with the side enjoying the first European campaign in their history this season.
De Zerbi became available when the war in Ukraine led to the termination of his contract in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk, but while he was a largely unknown figure at the top level of coaching when he was appointed, he was certainly not unknown by Brighton.
Barber reveals De Zerbi was at the top of their list of possible future managers long before Potter’s departure — with preparation for eventual exits ‘critical’ to the club’s model, which has stood them in good stead so far.
And the chief admitted that, while they hope De Zerbi will be going nowhere anytime soon, they have a similar list right now as they plan for the worst, admitting it is no secret that some of the world’s top clubs have their eye on the manager.
“Good players and good staff will always be looked at by competitors, and we’re prepared for that, we’re realistic
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