De Zerbi sends Brighton a warning amid links with Liverpool

Roberto De Zerbi has warned Brighton they must match his ambition if he is to stay with the Seagulls next season.

De Zerbi’s future is being closely monitored by a number of clubs heading into the summer, with admirers not limited to just Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

The Italian has two years remaining on his contract at the AMEX Stadium and warned that while it is not a foregone conclusion that he will leave in the summer, it is going to come down to how ambitious a plan Brighton owner Tony Bloom lays out in front of him.

‘What’s the target? For what are we playing [for]?’ De Zerbi said, when asked what had given him doubts at the start of this season.

‘I have already spoken with Tony and in the future we will speak about the next plan and the next season and to organise the next season and then we find the solution. We both have to be happy [about the targets] - myself and the club.’

He continued: ‘I have another two years of contract and to work next season at Brighton I don’t need to extend another year or another two years. I can stay, I can work at Brighton with an extension, without an extension, nothing changes.

’At the moment we finished the discussion about the contract but not because I decided yet to leave, no no. My focus is on Brighton for this season and the next season - but the next season, before starting that, I would like to speak and to listen to the plan of the team. I think it’s a serious thing.’

De Zerbi is one to watch in the managerial market this summer with vacancies at Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Liverpool already known to be opening up.

While this Anfield audition far from fell flat, even in a 2-1 defeat, Roy Keane was largely dismissive of De Zerbi’s credentials for one of Europe’s top jobs.

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