Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi scored well on the initial data research of Liverpool as the Reds look to replace manager Jurgen Klopp in the summer, and the Italian has been discussed by the Anfield club as a potential replacement for the German after they failed to convince Xabi Alonso to leave Bayer Leverkusen.
The 44-year-old has impressed since joining the Seagulls in 2022 as Graham Potter’s replacement and could be the perfect fit for Liverpool, but luring him away from the Amex Stadium could now prove more difficult after Brighton posted the largest profit ever made by an English club.
Brighton post largest profit ever made by an English club of £122m – even without cash from Caicedo sale.
Chief exec Paul Barber agrees new deal until 2030.https://t.co/BW4p0kEahx— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) April 2, 2024
The Seagulls made a profit of £122.8 million last season to set the record, with the Reds also playing a huge role in helping them smile to the bank after parting with £35m for the services of Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister last summer.
Brighton are also expected to record huge profit for this season as the income from the £115m sale of Moisés Caicedo and £25m for the Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to Chelsea will be included in their accounts, and De Zerbi could be keen to remain with the club beyond this summer due to the availability of transfer funds.
Brighton can keep their highly-rated manager out of Liverpool’s clutches by committing to spend on quality recruitment to bolster his squad, and the Italian knows his stocks will continue to rise if he can lead his side to the Champions League.
De Zerbi helped them finish sixth in the Premier League last term, and while his side are now struggling to replicate that form, they are just six points off sixth place and could still qualify for Europe for the second season running.
The chance to manage Liverpool could be too tempting for the Italian to turn down, but he knows the risk that comes with succeeding someone like Klopp and could prefer to remain at Brighton, especially if he is guaranteed more quality additions.