Given that Mike McGrath of The Telegraph claims Roberto De Zerbi has “admirers” at Old Trafford, Manchester United would have to pay a compensation fee exceeding £12 million in order to appoint the Brighton & Hove Albion manager this summer.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of INEOS, recently acquired a minority stake in the Red Devils. He will now have the last word in all off-field football and athletic decisions.
With the Manchester giants unlikely to qualify for the Champions League the following season, Erik ten Hag, the head coach of Man Utd, has overseen a difficult 2023–24 season at the Theatre of Dreams. As the Seagulls prepare to contend for European football once more, De Zerbi is keeping up his impressive play at Brighton.
Man Utd’s De Zerbi has “admirers.”
Throughout the summer, the Brighton manager might be in demand.
After transforming Brighton from a mid-table team to one with aspirations of competing for Europa League and Europa Conference League qualification, McGrath’s article for The Telegraph claims that De Zerbi has “admirers” at Manchester United. The Seagulls would demand payment in excess of £12 million from the Red Devils or any other team that wished to acquire the Italian manager, who is considered to be “world class” by Levi Colwill, the former center player for Brighton.
Since taking over for Graham Potter in September 2022, De Zerbi’s contract at the Amex Stadium is set to expire in 2026. The 44-year-old revealed he was in negotiations for a new contract on the south coast prior to Christmas.
Ten Hag will feel even more pressure after hearing about De Zerbi’s “admirers” at Manchester United. After losing to Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinal and Carabao Cup semifinal, his team is currently sixth in the Premier League. They need to win against them in order to have any chance of winning a major trophy this year.
Ratcliffe’s support for ten Hag has not been made public, even though the FA and Premier League approved his takeover last month. Ten Hag will be looking to show his worth with a successful season finale.