HomeExclusives Wed 29 May 2024 7:00, UK

Roberto De Zerbi's decision to leave Brighton was a big surprise as it seemed as though he had held progressive talks with chairman Tony Bloom.

That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who exclusively told Football Insider that De Zerbi's exit "took him by surprise" as a Brighton fan.

The Seagulls announced on 18 May that manager De Zerbi was set to leave the club after their final Premier League match of the season against Manchester United.

The Italian has been linked with a number of managerial positions following his success on the south coast.

As revealed by Football Insider, De Zerbi had said "yes" to taking the Chelsea job before the Blues turned their attention to Enzo Maresca.

De Zerbi spent 21 months at the Amex Stadium and led Brighton to a sixth and 11th-placed finish in the Premier League during his time as manager.

Brighton bombshell with De Zerbi stuns Kieran Maguire Maguire admitted that he was shocked by the announcement after hearing that De Zerbi had held progressive talks with Bloom just days before his departure.

"I was surprised by De Zerbi's decision to leave Brighton," Maguire told Football Insider's Sean Fisher.

"On Friday morning, the noises that I was hearing was that De Zerbi had held progressive talks with Tony Bloom.

"De Zerbi's stock as a manager had dropped given that Brighton's performances in 2024 had worsened.

"So for that to then effectively reverse itself within a few hours - it did take me by surprise as a Brighton fan.

"It did seem as though he was very hard to work with and was very demanding which can be both good and bad."

In other news, Brighton opening Graham Potter talks as sensational return edges closer