Brighton & Hove Albion have sensationally confirmed that they are parting company with manager Roberto De Zerbi – but HITC understands they already know who they want to replace him.
De Zerbi’s final game with Brighton will be on Sunday as they play host to Manchester United at the AMEX Stadium.
As HITC exclusively revealed on Friday – the Italian emerged as an option for German giants Bayern Munich, after current incumbent Thomas Tuchel confirmed he would not be staying at the Allianz Arena after failing to agree a new contract.
Brighton have long been aware that De Zerbi’s time at the club could be coming to an end, with the Italian keeping the club at ‘arm’s length’ when it came to contract talks and because of that HITC understands that the Seagulls have been doing their own due diligence on potential replacements.
Indeed, earlier this week Brighton’s chief executive Paul Barber admitted they could not stop him leaving – if someone came in for him and now that has seemingly come to pass.
Kieran McKenna is Brighton’s top choice to replace De Zerbi
HITC can also now reveal that the name at the top of their list is Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna.
McKenna has been nothing short of sensational for Ipswich since taking charge in December 2021 – departing Manchester United to take the helm at Portman Road.
In his first full season in Suffolk he guided The Tractor Boys to promotion, and then astoundingly repeated that feat this season – as Ipswich finished second to Leicester City.
Contracted to Ipswich to 2027, McKenna has now emerged as the man that Brighton chief Tony Bloom wants to replace De Zerbi.
McKenna, though, is not the only coach that Brighton have done their homework on – as HITC revealed earlier this month, Burnley’s Vincent Kompany was also someone they admired, as is McKenna’s former Manchester United coaching colleague Michael Carrick – currently in charge of Championship Middlesbrough, although he has just agreed a new long-term deal at The Riverside.
HITC is also told that Brighton have been also been looking abroad at coaching talent and the likes of former Reims boss Will Still, Nice’s Francesco Farioli and Girona’s Michel have been assessed – but as it stands McKenna appears to be the stand-out candidate.
The post Brighton set to move for De Zerbi replacement, already picked out top choice appeared first on HITC.