De Zerbi reveals Brighton contract problem as Barcelona, Liverpool circle

Tom Weber

Updated: 30 Mar 2024 16:53 GMT
4 min read

Roberto de Zerbi, Barcelona, Liverpool — © IMAGO

Roberto de Zerbi has dropped a bombshell update on his Brighton future.

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The Seagulls boss is the subject of intense speculation after emerging as a target for all of Europe's big clubs currently looking for a manager. Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all hold a credible interest in the Brighton coach and, unlike with Xabi Alonso, there is no certainty that he will remain with his current club in the summer.

It was recently revealed that De Zerbi dreams of coaching Napoli and that he wants to return to Italy, but coaching a side like the aforementioned big three must certainly appeal to the Italian. As for Brighton, they naturally want to keep De Zerbi and he is still contracted until 2026.

However, that ultimately matters very little once an affluent side comes knocking as the Seagulls found out last year when Graham Potter and most of his backroom staff were poached by Chelsea, paving the way for the appointment of De Zerbi.

Now, the 44-year-old has made some very surprising statements on his future with Brighton.

De Zerbi won't sign new deal

The Italian already hinted at a potential rift between his vision for the club and that of owner Tony Bloom in February when he revealed that he wasn't particularly happy with Brighton's January business.

The vision for the Seagulls project, De Zerbi insists, will be crucial to deciding his future. Asked whether he would sign a new contract, the coach offered this eyebrow-raising response: “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 plan. We have to speak with the club. 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, 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.”