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Roberto De Zerbi addresses Liverpool and Chelsea links with Brighton boss planning talks
Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that he is planning to speak to the club about his future amid growing links with Liverpool and Chelsea. The Italian has established himself as one of Europe's finest emerging head coaches in recent years, leading to plenty of speculation regarding a potential move to a bigger club.
De Zerbi has recently been linked with the Liverpool job, which will become available in the summer when Jurgen Klopp steps down from his current Anfield role. The Brighton manager has also been mentioned in connection with Chelsea in the event of Mauricio Pochettino being sacked in the near future.
In an interview with Sky Sports, De Zerbi insisted that he remains happy at Brighton but is open to working for 'a big, big team' at some point further down the line.
"We feel we can write another part of Brighton's history," he said. "Everyone feels this responsibility and we are working very hard to make our fans happy and our people working in the club. We will try and show our best.
"When I hear that big teams are interested in me it is an honour. I am proud, but my focus is on my work day-by-day. About the future, I will speak with the owner and with the club because I want to compete in the best way I can. I want to understand the plan, and then it is not a problem to work in a big, big team or another big team.
"I would like in my career to compete to win the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Champions League but there isn't a time when you have to go and compete, or to wait some more time."
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De Zerbi went on to suggest that he would be willing to return to his home country of Italy, naming AC Milan as a club that he loves after spending the early stages of his playing career at the San Siro.
"Milan for me is not a normal club because as a player I was born in AC Milan," he added. "For my life I will always be grateful for Milan. I love my country, I love Italy, I love Italian football. For sure one of my targets is to go back and work in my country, but I don't know when is the time.
"I am feeling very well in the Premier League and I have to say thanks to Brighton and for all of the coaches and people in the Premier League in the UK, but it is not a problem where you work. It is how you are working, not the place."
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