DE ZERBI IS DRAINED BY ROCKY RUN

ON THE night Arne Slot all but confirmed he will be Liverpool’s next manager, it was hard not to feel sympathy for Roberto De Zerbi as Manchester City tore his side to shreds.

The Italian tactician opened talks with Brighton over a lucrative new contract in December but has since placed formal discussions on hold off his own back.

But with Slot potentially Anfield-bound and Bayern Munich, who are understood to have had discreet contact with De Zerbi, now eyeing a shock swoop for Ralf Rangnick, a summer exit from the Amex looks less likely. Chelsea or Manchester United could still have something to say about that but, for now, De Zerbi (top) has been left to bundle his limping Brighton side over the season’s finish line.

They have fallen to 11th, but that should not discredit the 44-year-old’s remarkable work on the South Coast since replacing Graham Potter in September 2022.

Brighton’s European adventure proved to be too damaging, but there is also a valid argument that De Zerbi has been left desperately short in the transfer market.

That is something he wants addressing if he is to continue at Brighton.

A man of his class, ambition and dedication is worthy of such assurances.

De Zerbi has made no secret of the fact he is far from content. After the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool, he said of next season: “I want to know the target and what we are playing for.”

The message carried even greater weight given it was delivered in the Anfield press room, knowing Liverpool chiefs would have been paying attention to Brighton’s performance. But there has been no approach and, after City sucked the soul from De Zerbi during this savage one-sided beating, it is hard to envisage how he finds the energy to somehow drive this Brighton team to greater heights.