Arsenal have reportedly earmarked Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi as a potential replacement for Mikel Arteta.
In his third full season at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta has transformed his Gunners side into genuine title contenders this term, and they are in with a strong chance of lifting their first Premier League title for nearly two decades.
Indeed, the 41-year-old has steered Arsenal to the top of Premier League table with just nine matches remaining, and they currently sit eight points clear of reigning champions Manchester City.
Arteta's nous and leadership has not gone unnoticed, as the Spaniard has won the Premier League Manager of the Month award on four occasions this season, leading the Gunners to 23 top-flight victories in 29 games.
The San Sebastian-born coach is under contact at the Emirates until the summer of 2025, but the Spaniard is understood to have attracted interest from his homeland.
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A recent report claims that Real Madrid have added Arteta to their managerial shortlist, amid uncertainty over the future of current boss Carlo Ancelotti who is out of contract in June.
La Liga leaders Barcelona, where Arteta began his playing career, have also been credited with an interest, with a report earlier this season claiming that they are keeping tabs on the Gunners boss with a view to potentially hiring him in the future.
According to Tuttosport, via The Mirror, Arsenal are considering life without Arteta should he decide to leave the club, and have identified Brighton boss De Zerbi as a potential successor.
The report adds that De Zerbi's agent, Edoardo Crnjar, is understood to have 'received signals' from the North Londoners that they would be open to the prospect of appointing the Italian.
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Since replacing Graham Potter in September last year, De Zerbi has successfully steered Brighton into the mix for European qualification and has lost just one of his last 15 games in all competitions.
The 43-year-old has implemented an attractive brand of football at the Amex Stadium and sees his Seagulls side sitting sixth in the Premier League table, seven points behind the Champions League places with a game in hand.
De Zerbi, who is also preparing for an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley later this month, has also attracted interest from Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, although the Italian is understood to have ruled himself out of the running to replace Antonio Conte.
In addition, the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk boss is said to have no interest in the Chelsea job, with the Blues still searching for a permanent successor to Potter despite naming Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
Oliver Thomas
