Roberto De Zerbi has recently addressed his future at Brighton and Hove Albion, delivering a clear message to Liverpool.
The 44-year-old has been among the managers linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield after the Reds boss announced his decision to leave at the end of the season.
De Zerbi took over from Graham Potter at the Amex Stadium at the start of last season, and despite joining at short notice, he successfully guided the Seagulls to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.
The Italian has continued to impress this term, steering Brighton into the knockout stages of the Europa League.
With Liverpool in the market for a new head coach, De Zerbi has emerged as a contender for the potential vacancy at Merseyside.
However, despite interest in his services, he remains under contract on the south coast until 2026.
Ahead of Brighton’s upcoming clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage this weekend, De Zerbi was questioned about his future and whether he plans to stay with the club next season. He opted to keep his cards close to his chest.
He said: “I have only Brighton in my head. I would like to finish the season in the best way with our young players – to compete and win as many games as we can.”
“Yes, I have a contract. I have decided nothing. My focus is on Brighton – 100 per cent.”
Not long ago, De Zerbi was asked to comment on his future. In an interview with Sky Sports earlier this month, the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk boss expressed his happiness at Brighton.
However, he subtly hinted at being open to the prospect of working for a ‘big, big team’ in the future.
“We feel we can write another part of Brighton’s history,” he said.
“Everyone feels this responsibility and we are working very hard to make our fans happy and our people working in the club. We will try and show our best.
“When I hear that big teams are interested in me it is an honour. I am proud, but my focus is on my work day-by-day. 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.”
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