Brighton’s head coach De Zerbi has been linked with Barcelona, but a report in the Spanish publication Sport suggests that recruiting him won’t be straightforward. As a result, Barcelona’s quest to find a replacement for Xavi, who will step down from his role this summer, is expected to persist.

According to the report, Barcelona may be hesitant to pay De Zerbi’s exit clause, which stands at around €15 million (£12.8m), given the club’s delicate financial situation. Additionally, Liverpool, in search of a successor for departing manager Jurgen Klopp, are monitoring the Italian closely. If they intend to secure the former Sassuolo boss, they would need to act promptly.

De Zerbi, who joined Brighton in September 2022, guided them to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season and has led them to the Europa League’s last 16 this term. His contract with Brighton runs until 2026.

As Barcelona continues their manager search, Xavi will focus on his team’s upcoming match against Athletic Club on Sunday night. The defending champions aim to narrow the gap to leaders Real Madrid to six points with a victory.

FC Barcelona performance and stats

FC Barcelona

Manager: Xavi
La Liga
Rank 2nd
Win 23
Draw 7
Loss 5
Goals 72-43
Diff 29
Champions League
Rank 1st
Win 4
Draw 0
Loss 2
Goals 12-6
Diff 6
Top 3 Scorers
R.Lewandowski (3)
J.Félix (3)
F.Torres (3)
This season
SeeUpdated

FC Barcelona is currently 3rd in the La Liga with 57 points.

In the last 26 games, it has won 17 times, drawn 6 times, and lost 3 times. In its last match, FC Barcelona won 4-0 against Getafe.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 56 goals and conceding 34.​

FC Barcelona will play the next match in La Liga against Athletic Club on Sunday 3rd of March in Bilbao. The prediction is FC Barcelona winning the match.​

Brighton & Hove Albion performance and stats

Brighton & Hove Albion

Manager: Roberto De Zerbi
Premier League
Rank 10th
Win 12
Draw 12
Loss 12
Goals 54-58
Diff -4
Europa League
Rank 1st
Win 4
Draw 1
Loss 1
Goals 10-5
Diff 5
Top 3 Scorers
J.Pedro (6)
A.Fati (2)
S.Adingra (1)
This season
SeeUpdated

Brighton & Hove Albion is currently 9th in the Premier League with 39 points.

In the last 27 games, it has won 9 times, drawn 10 times, and lost 8 times. In its last match, Brighton & Hove Albion lost 3-0 against Fulham.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 49 goals and conceding 44.​

Brighton & Hove Albion will play the next match in Premier League against Nottingham Forest on Saturday 9th of March in Falmer.​