Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton has caught the eye of Real Madrid as a possible replacement for Carlo Ancelotti when the latter’s contract expires after this season.

Speculation surrounding the Italian’s future was reignited after the Whites’ recent loss to Atletico Madrid. The impending expiration of his contract in 2024 has naturally prompted more discussion about a possible successor.

Ancelotti is likely to quit the Santiago Bernabeu to assume the leadership role of the Brazilian national team. The 64-year-old said that he has no interest in discussing a potential contract extension before Wednesday’s LaLiga match against Las Palmas.

“My renewal is not a matter of interest. Everyone knows that I’m doing very well here, but it’s not the right time to talk about it because there are a lot of games,” he said Tuesday to the press.

Los Blancos already on hunt for new manager

As a consequence, Real Madrid is actively seeking a new manager to usher in a new era. Former Los Blancos player and current Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is the favorite to replace the Italian.

Alonso played for the LaLiga title record-holders for five seasons. Unsurprisingly, he has yet to win anything, and bringing home hardware with the German side will not be easy either. His talent is clear, though, and he is now a strong contender to lead Real Madrid as head coach from next term.

De Zerbi joins wishlist at Real Madrid

On the other hand, the LaLiga giants are also thinking about hiring Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of Premier League team Brighton. The Italian boss has surfaced as an unexpected possibility to replace his compatriot next season, according to a report from Cadena SER.

Once Graham Potter left the Amex Stadium in September 2022, De Zerbi took his position. Since then, the Seagulls’ success has been meteoric; they qualified for the UEFA Europa League at the conclusion of the previous season.

Brighton continued its success into the current season. Currently, the Seagulls sit third in the Premier League standings after winning five of their first six games. Real Madrid is eyeing the Italian based on his style. De Zerbi’s Brighton plays an aggressive, entrepreneurial form of soccer that consistently produces excellent results.

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