Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher agree on De Zerbi and Brighton as Tottenham, Roma and Juventus link grows

It should come as no great surprise that Albion’s impressive head coach Roberto De Zerbi is being linked to some of the top clubs in Serie A. De Zerbi has impressed in the Premier League since taking taking over from Graham Potter last September following his switch to the riches of Chelsea.

Potter became such a key figure at Albion that many feared Brighton’s progress would be derailed but De Zerbi has built on the previous manger’s work and also implemented his own style. Brighton, despite drawing 1-1 at Crystal Palace and then losing 1-0 at home Fulham, are seventh and still pushing for European qualification this season. The Seagulls, under De Zerbi, are now a more attacking outfit as the Italian has been able to maximise the skills of Solly March, Kaoru Mitoma and also helped young striker Evan Ferguson take his first impressive steps in the Premier League.

Compared to the considered approach from Potter, De Zerbi is a far more passionate figure on the touchline and his honest opinions on players, transfer dealings and the media has quickly made him a favourite among Brighton fans.

The former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk man is enjoying his time on the south coast and has credited his “smart” players for adapting to his demanding tactics. Brighton are however bracing themselves for an unsettling summer transfer window as their key midfield duo of Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo are widely tipped to leave. The South American duo have formed an excellent partnership in central midfield and provide the platform to dominate possession, even against the very best teams.

Mac Allister and Caicedo could see Albion bank upwards of £120m this summer and De Zerbi may well seek assurances as to how that healthy sum will be reinvested back into the playing squad as he looks to rebuild his midfield.

The speculation linking the 44-year-old to Tottenham and Serie A – with AC Milan, Roma and Juventus reportedly keen – is nothing new for Brighton and it is believed the club inserted a £12m release clause for the head coach when appointing him last year.

Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have been impressed with De Zerbi and also with Brighton’s succession planning.

“They pick up players and managers that are under the radar, said Carragher speaking earlier this season. "They are almost ready for someone to go. With Graham, he got that move to Chelsea but there was talk of him getting the England job if the World Cup did not go well for Gareth Southgate. I'm sure Brighton will have had a plan for that. There is a lot of planning that goes on."

Neville added: “I thought it would be a case of a new manager coming in and assessing the team but it looks like he is intervening and stamping his authority on it.

"Training longer and a bit more tactical. But it seems like they are enjoying it. They always look well coached and a team that feels like it’s achieving it's maximum and that seems to be continuing under the new manager.

He added: “Because of the stability at the club they can cope with a head coach moving. The clubs that are set up really well, a head coach can leave, a new one can come in and the train stays on the track.

"There is a lot of data and analysis about which managers they look at. Already they are starting to think who is the next manager for the club. For De Zerbi, they looked at him two years ago and and how he is getting so much out of the players from the clubs he has been at and getting more out of them than perhaps he should be.”