Roberto De Zerbi has two years left on his contract with Brighton. However, with every week, it’s seeming less and less likely that the Italian will actually see out that contract. Reports are constantly coming out linking the current Brighton boss to a big job away from the South Coast. This week’s reports say that Bayern Munich are interested in signing De Zerbi.
Bayern interested in De Zerbi
Matteo Moretto of Revalo reported that Bayern have made contact with De Zerbi about taking over for the outgoing Thomas Tuchel this summer. German newspaper Bild and Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg have also confirmed this report.
Despite their concrete interest, De Zerbi is not the club’s first choice manager. The German giants have prioritized poaching Xabi Alonso from their Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen. If Alonso isn’t available —like if he joins Liverpool instead, for example— Bayern Munich will try to sign De Zerbi.
De Zerbi is reportedly “fascinated and flattered” by Bayern’s interest, but he is not yet willing to commit to any offer yet. According to Moretto, “[De Zerbi] is waiting to learn about all the available options” before deciding his future.
De Zerbi’s next job
The 44-year-old manager is on the shortlist for the Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester United jobs. He’s also been linked to a number of clubs in Italy. Just last week, De Zerbi’s own assistant manager said that the Italian could leave the Premier League and end up managing Napoli someday.
Stylistically, Barcelona seem like the best fit for De Zerbi’s structured attacking tactics and willingness to play young players. However, the Catalan’s current financial situation means it’s unlikely they could afford to buy out De Zerbi’s Brighton contract. Napoli also would likely struggle paying the fee necessary to sign the 44-year-old.
Liverpool could afford to sign De Zerbi, but with Xabi Alonso, it’s hard to imagine the Reds signing anyone else but their former star midfielder to replace Jurgen Klopp this summer. Bayern are in a similar boat to Liverpool. Signing Xabi, with his experiences as a Bayern player and winning the Bundesliga as a manager, is a no-brainer compared to signing De Zerbi.
Juventus, Manchester United, and AC Milan will each have to fire their current managers if they want to sign De Zerbi. Massimiliano Allegri, Erik ten Hag, and Stefano Pioli are not exactly on great terms with their respective clubs right now. Any one of them could be sacked this summer to make way for De Zerbi. However, counting on that happening is a lot less likely compared to De Zerbi’s chances of taking one of the already-open jobs this summer.
Of course, De Zerbi could always decide he doesn’t want to leave Brighton just yet and stay on the South Coast for another season. The Seagulls recently crashed out of the Europa League via a 4-1 aggregate loss to Roma and are on track to miss out on European football next season.
De Zerbi could stick around to embrace the challenge of bringing Brighton back to Europe in 2025. Or he could feel like he’s ready for a new challenge after taking the Seagulls to the mountaintop of the Europa League this season. Either feeling would be completely rational for an up-and-coming manager like De Zerbi.
Is De Zerbi a good fit for Bayern?
If De Zerbi is looking for a change of scenery, Bayern Munich would be an interesting landing spot for the Italian.
For one, the pressure at Bayern would be enormous compared to the scrutiny he’s currently under at Brighton. In just the last 18 months, we’ve seen FC Hollywood wear down two genuinely world class managers, in Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel.
There are also questions on the pitch for De Zerbi. Every team he has ever managed has looked vulnerable on the counterattack. There’s a risk his tactics would be further exposed in a transition heavy league like the Bundesliga, especially considering Bayern’s questionable back line and defensive midfield options.
Overall, despite the doubts, hiring De Zerbi would be a statement of intent from both Bayern and De Zerbi. If they get the chance, and Alonso is not available, Bayern should take the risk and sign De Zerbi. Otherwise, they could miss out on signing one of the best young managers in European football.
