Pep Guardiola Reportedly Told Brighton Players Roberto De Zerbi Will Be Manchester City’s Next Manager

Pep Guardiola has reportedly told Brighton’s players that Roberto De Zerbi will be Manchester City’s next manager. De Zerbi has done a superb job since taking over from Graham Potter 13 months ago as he guided Brighton to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last season and secured European football for the first time in the club’s history.

Brighton are also regarded as one of the Premier League’s most eye-catching sides under De Zerbi, who has also coped with several key players leaving his squad including Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.

Pep Guardiola’s Admiration for Roberto De Zerbi

According to The Telegraph, after City played at the Amex Stadium in May, Guardiola was speaking of a few of the Brighton players in the tunnel when he nodded in De Zerbi’s direction and said, ‘that’s the next Man City manager’.

The report claims that De Zerbi is ‘greatly admired’ by City’s hierarchy, although the prospect of extending Guardiola’s contract, which expires in the summer of 2025, cannot be ruled out.

Speaking ahead of City’s Premier League clash with Brighton on Saturday, Guardiola reiterated his admiration for De Zerbi and the Italian’s style of play.

“I think I admire him for the fact it doesn’t matter the team he plays, he proved you don’t have to be in a top, top, top club or with top, top exceptional players to make your team play how you like to play,” Guardiola said.

He went on to say that De Zerbi plays ‘counter-cultural’ and ‘it doesn’t matter what happens’. Guardiola also praised De Zerbi for his success with Sassuolo and Italy, saying that it is ‘no surprise’ that his teams have been successful.

Brighton vs. Manchester City

Guardiola also said that Saturday’s match against Brighton will be ‘one of the toughest tests’ that City have faced this season. He said that City will ‘try to go for it’ but it remains to be seen if they can come away with a victory.

It will be interesting to see if De Zerbi can continue his success with Brighton against one of the Premier League’s top teams. If he can, it could further cement his position as a potential successor to Guardiola at Manchester City.

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