Roberto De Zerbi is one of the highest candidates liked by the Barcelona board.
Among coaches outside the German track, Roberto de Zerbi is perhaps the candidate whose arrival in Barcelona would be most feasible. According to Fernando Polo of Mundo Deportivo, the 44-year-old Italian is under contract with Brighton until 2026 with a release clause of 10 million, but there are voices within the Blaugrana club advocating for his candidacy due to his unabashed offensive approach.
Unlike coaches such as Mikel Arteta and Luis Enrique, already at ‘big’ clubs like Arsenal and Paris Saint Germain with projects capable of winning major titles, De Zerbi has not yet made the leap to an elite club. Despite the hurdle posed by the mentioned clause, he could push for his departure to go to Barça if they make a strong move for him from Barcelona. The glowing praises that Pep Guardiola has always dedicated to him are his greatest endorsement to be considered an “imaginative” solution for Barça. Joan Laporta expressed this sentiment on ‘RAC1’ two weeks ago when discussing the dual aspect of choosing Xavi’s successor. The other aspect involves a coach “with a certain trajectory.”
At Barça, they closely follow the football played by Brighton, as Ansu Fati is currently on loan there. Another point of connection is that De Zerbi’s agents are Edmundo Kabchi and Edoardo Crnjar, who also represent Ronald Araujo. The day before yesterday, they were in Barcelona discussing the future of the Uruguayan center-back with Deco.
