Report claims manager is “ideal profile” for replacing Pochettino – but he would get unbelievable transfer promise | OneFootball

Caught Offside have just published an exclusive report claiming that Chelsea are “favourites” in the race to sign up Brighton coach Roberto de Zerbi.

After less than two seasons with the Seagulls, he is apparently ready to move on, and has a host of top European clubs chasing him. However “the option that seems to appear to be the most concrete is with the Blues.

The club like his ability to “enhance young players” and “improve the level of the squad,” and given De Zerbi has already managed to get a tune out of Mykhailo Mudryk, we can see why they think he can do it again.

The claim is that the Italian coach “would have full autonomy” in everything, including transfers. That’s hard to believe. They say he’s the “ideal profile and possible replacement” for out current manager.

The situation emerging

While there’s a lot to be said for De Zerbi and these connections to Chelsea. Right now, despite this report, it feels like a deal is getting further away than closer. There are a number of reasons for this.

Firstly the man he would be replacing, Mauricio Pochettino, is managing to keep his head above water with decent results. A lot is yet to be decided, but given how important it is to our board to try and keep him in charge if possible, right now he’s doing just about enough.

Then there’s the competition – if De Zerbi does leaves, he’s already been linked (including in the report above) with all manner of teams. That includes Liverpool, AC Milan, Barcelona, Napoli, Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Are Chelsea really willing to outbid that sort of competition? Would the Italian coach pick us ahead of them?

Finally, and most importantly, Brighton’s season has largely got worse and worse, and De Zerbi’s relationship with his bosses seems to be gradually deteriorating. This is making him a less tempting option all the time, at least for Chelsea, who will prioritise having a yes-man in charge over any sort of maverick.