Brighton confident Robert De Zerbi will be manager next season despite interest from AC Milan
Brighton are planning next season with Roberto De Zerbi as coach despite interest from AC Milan, talkSPORT understands.
The Italian De Zerbi, former Milan player, raised doubts about your future in March stating that he was not close to signing a new contract.
However the seagulls They are confident he will remain in charge next season and are protected by a significant release clause of around £12m.
De Zerbi has earned much praise for the work he has done on the south coast, guiding them into European football for the first time with Brighton qualifying for the Europa League.
Chances of a second successive season in Europe faded amid poor form in 2024, with Brighton currently 12th in the Premier League.
However, that hasn't stopped De Zerbi from being linked to some of Europe's biggest jobs.
As well as interest from AC Milan, he had been mooted as a candidate for the Liverpool job before Arne Slot became the favourite.
Pep Guardiola has even reportedly tipped him as his successor at Manchester City.
Reports claim that he told a group of people at the Amex Stadium last season that De Zerbi would be his successor.
Paul Barber, Brighton chief executive he told talkSPORT in February that De Zerbi's links with other clubs were flattering, but also frustrating.
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“That's high praise I could do without,” he said with a laugh. “I think, as we have said many times before, the more successful we are in relative terms, the higher profile we will have.
“We expect our best employees, whether they are coaches, players or staff, to attract the attention of others.
“It's a compliment, obviously it can also be frustrating for us, but we prepare for these eventualities.
“I hope Roberto is here for a long time. He is happy here, he is doing a great job here, the fans love him, the players love him even more and we hope he stays for a long time.”
Brighton's final four games of the season are against Aston Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester United.
