Klopp replacement plan suffers blow as Liverpool candidate opens contract talks
Brighton have not received any approaches for Roberto De Zerbi and are confident of keeping their in-demand manager.
De Zerbi has been linked with Liverpool and Barcelona following the announcements that Jurgen Klopp and Xavi Hernandez would leave their roles at the end of the season. The 44-year-old Italian has impressed with his bold tactics, winning 35 of his 73 matches in charge with the Seagulls.
He is reportedly Barca’s number one choice to replace Xavi when he leaves in the summer, but talkSPORT reports that Brighton haven’t received any inquiries yet. De Zerbi joined the club in September 2022 and is under contract until June 2026 and Brighton have held talks over protecting themselves further by giving him a new deal.
De Zerbi already has a €10million (£8.5m) release clause written into his Brighton contract and the club are reportedly confident of warding off interest. The Seagulls are under no financial pressure to sell their best players and hope to keep De Zerbi happy with their backing.
Owner Tony Bloom is plotting transfers for the summer and the club have a fantastic record of picking up unheralded stars. Speaking about his future recently, De Zerbi said: “When I hear the big teams are interested in me, it’s an honour, but my focus is on my work day by day.
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“About the future? I want to compete in the best way I can, I want to understand the plan and then it’s not a problem to work at a big team. I would like in my career to compete to win the Premier League, Serie A, the, Bundesliga, Champions League – but there isn’t a time when have to go.”
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is currently the heavy favourite to replace Klopp at Anfield, but De Zerbi has been touted as an alternative, with Bayern Munich also targeting the former Liverpool midfielder. De Zerbi himself has been impressed by Alonso’s work in Germany.
Roberto De Zerbi has been touted as a possible successor to Jurgen Klopp (GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)"He is doing an extraordinary job," De Zerbi said in an interview with Cronache Di Spogliatoio. "His team plays so well. The style is well-defined. He was already good when coaching Real Sociedad's second team three years ago and he is proving the same in a great club like Bayer Leverkusen."
Asked about signing a new deal with Brighton, De Zerbi said: "No, there is no news. My focus is just on the last part of the season. We are going to compete and to play a historic part of the season. We compete in the Premier League to reach the same target as last season (qualifying for Europe).
"We're going to play the last 16 in the Europa League. We compete in the FA Cup and we remember the defeat last season in Wembley and for it I keep my eye on my team."
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