Brighton open contract renewal talks with Roberto De Zerbi amid Barcelona interest

According to a report from talkSPORT, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion want to renew the contract of Roberto De Zerbi amidst links with Barcelona.

The Italian manager is currently on Barcelona’s radar and as reported before, he would be open to coaching in Spain. In fact, he has also said that when teams like Barcelona are linked with his services, it makes him very proud. 

Right now, Barcelona are said to be exploring their options for the new manager and Thomas Tuchel’s departure from Bayern Munich at the end of the season has made everything even more interesting.

Brighton in talks with De Zerbi

It is said that Brighton have engaged in discussions with De Zerbi regarding a potential extension of his contract. The news comes amidst links with several clubs but so far, the Italian has not been approached by any other teams.

De Zerbi, 44, is reportedly on Barcelona’s shortlist to replace Xavi at the end of the season. On the other hand, the Italian coach has also garnered admiration from influential clubs like  Manchester United, Liverpool, and teams from Italy. 

Brighton want to extend Roberto De Zerbi’s contract. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

However, there has been no indication from De Zerbi, whose current contract runs until the summer of 2026, suggesting he intends to leave Brighton.

Meanwhile, it is understood that Brighton’s position in extending their manager’s contract is strengthened by the absence of any financial necessity to sell their star players. 

Club owner Tony Bloom is reportedly planning ambitious recruitment for the upcoming summer transfer window, aiming to elevate his side into an established European team.

As far as Barcelona are concerned, they are expected to do a deeper analysis now that there are multiple options available to study.

For now, Tuchel is said to be on their agenda as well and it is said that the German is very interested in taking up the Barcelona project. Furthermore, the option of approaching Hansi Flick is on the cards too and while he is currently linked with Bayern Munich, he, too, prefers Barcelona over the Bavarians.