Roberto De Zerbi rules out new Brighton contract & demands talks with owner

Roberto De Zerbi has cast doubt on his future at Brighton & Hove Albion by demanding talks with the club's owners.

The 44-year-old, who is under contract until 2026, has hinted at tension with owner Tony Bloom ever since a quiet January transfer window in which Brighton failed to make any senior signings, with teenagers Valentin Barco and Adrian Mazulu the only acquisitions.

Since then, both Liverpool and Bayern Munich have looked at De Zerbi for their impending vacancies in the dugout, and the Italian has now put both sides on alert by admitting he has not decided whether he wants to stay with Brighton.

«I have a different way to decide my future,» he said. «I want to speak with my club, I have a contract but the problem is not the contract — the problem is to find the same plan, the same target, the same vision for the future.

»For me, I have not decided yet what is my future, because I have the contract, but anyway I want to speak with Tony [Bloom], my club, to understand their plan, to understand his plan, the Tony plan. Then we take the decision together, without problems.

«My relationship with my players, my fans, I think it can't change depending on the future. What we did is history and we can't forget it.

»The future I want to keep my ambition, my motivation, I live for football 24 hours a day, I want to know what is the plan, what is the project, what is the future because if I don't feel comfortable, I don't feel the right motivation, I can't stay any longer."

Then asked directly whether he would sign a new contract, De Zerbi responded: «At the moment, no.

»We didn't find the agreement. The contract is a part of the future. It's important for me, it's important for everyone but it's a small part, the big part is the