Erik ten Hag’s chances of staying at Manchester United beyond this season seem to be dwindling, as the club is reportedly looking for alternatives.
The Dutch manager may need to win the FA Cup and secure a top-four finish in the Premier League to keep his job, but both goals are far from certain.
Among the names linked with the United post is Roberto de Zerbi, who has impressed at Brighton and attracted interest from Barcelona and Chelsea as well.
However, the Italian tactician has dismissed the speculation and expressed his satisfaction with his current role ahead of Brighton’s Europa League clash with Roma.
De Zerbi said he was proud to compete with bigger teams and he did not let defeats affect his mood.
He said: “I do what makes me happy and right now it is to be where I am. I’m lucky now to be able to compete with these teams at this level to play these games.
“It makes me happy when we win but also when we lose, I feel something special.”
However, he left the door open to a potential return to Italy in the future, where he made waves with his Sassuolo squad.
De Zerbi said that there were some things in Italy he didn’t like at the time but he would definitely see himself returning one day.
De Zerbi’s words come across as that of a man who doesn’t want to unsettle his team with outside noise while they are on the cusp of another historic season.
They are in the mix for Europe again in the Premier League table and they earned a marquee tie against AS Roma in the Europa League.
Although anything can happen in football, it looks like De Zerbi would be difficult to extract from Brighton while he oversees the success of a team built in his image.
Nonetheless, it wouldn’t quieten the noise around Ten Hag’s future as pressure ramps up on him with every loss or bad performance.