The Italian tactician Roberto De Zerbi joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022 as the successor to Graham Potter, who moved to Chelsea. In his debut season in the English Premier League, his managerial skills prevailed, leading the team to earn their first-ever European qualification and reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
After his success with the Seagulls, De Zerbi emerged as the most sought-after candidate to lead major clubs such as Liverpool and had been linked to a return to Italy, where Napoli and AC Milan have shown interest in his services. He is now reported to be on Barcelona’s radar as their potential new boss.
Roberto De Zerbi reportedly leading race for Barcelona hot seat
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has been speculated with a move to Barcelona to replace Xavi at the end of the season. This follows Xavi’s recent announcement that he will be parting ways with the Catalans in the summer, stepping down from his role amid the challenging results of the ongoing campaign.
Reportedly, the former Shakhtar Donetsk manager is the leading candidate for the Blaugrana job, having impressed the club’s board with his attacking brand of play during his time in the Premier League.
Moreover, his reputation for developing youth talent is among the factors that make him a well-suited candidate. Alongside him, former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick is also favored by the Barça president for a potential arrival at Camp Nou.
However, Brighton & Hove’s boss tops the list of shortlisted names. Interestingly, Jürgen Klopp is another fascinating name that has recently emerged as a possibility for moving to the Spanish champions.
De Zerbi discusses future plans
Roberto De Zerbi, the Seagulls’ boss, who will be returning to the sidelines for the club during the weekend’s away clash against Sheffield United, spoke about his future amid links to big clubs. He expressed his gratitude and pride in receiving offers from big teams, insisting he is happy at Brighton.
However, the Italian is open to the idea of joining bigger teams and aims to compete for titles, as he expressed in his recent conversation with Sky Sports. “When I hear that big teams are interested in me it is an honor. I am proud, but my focus is on my work day-by-day,” he stated.
“About the future, I will speak with the owner and with the club because I want to compete in the best way I can. I want to understand the plan, and then it is not a problem to work in a big, big team or another big team.”
“I would like in my career to compete to win the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Champions League but there isn’t a time when you have to go and compete, or to wait some more time,” he added.
