Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi has a release clause of €13m (£11m) in his contract with Brighton, according to football journalist Fabrizio Romano. Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Romano discussed De Zerbi’s impressive performances with Brighton this season and rumors surrounding his future. He confirmed that the 43-year-old manager is not being targeted by Chelsea at the moment, but Tottenham has been rumored to be interested in him.
While the release clause would allow De Zerbi to leave Brighton, Romano suggested that convincing him to depart would not be an easy task, as the Italian is currently happy with his position on the south coast. “If you go there and you pay €13m in the summer, you can have De Zerbi,” Romano said. “That’s in case you agree with him because he is very happy at Brighton and he is doing very well.”
Romano also acknowledged that getting De Zerbi’s foot in the door may be straightforward, but convincing him to leave Brighton for Tottenham could be a challenge. The Italian manager has been working wonders at Brighton and may be wondering how far he can take the team in the coming years.
Tottenham, a much larger club than Brighton, is currently in disarray with no sporting director, no manager, and a star player who may be leaving this summer. It remains to be seen whether De Zerbi would want to take on such a role.