Brighton and Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi has been one of the finest coaches to come out of the Premier League in years.
When you’re receiving plaudits from the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp et al, you know you must be doing something right, and the Seagulls’ foray into the Europa League knockout stages is surely more than anyone connected with the club could’ve imagined.
Players should be falling over themselves to get into the team dynamic that the Italian is creating at the AMEX Stadium, though not everyone seems enamoured enough to join the club down on the south coast.
According to Football Insider, teenage Irish sensation, Aodhan Doherty, is set to join West Ham instead.
The east London club are now reported to be the front runners in the chase for the 17-year-old’s signature, with Brighton and Everton in the Hammers slip stream at this point.
It isn’t entirely clear when any bid for the player will be made, though the report does state that he’s already been over to train with the east Londoners before now, so perhaps there’s little need for urgency on West Ham’s part.
With David Moyes expected to leave the club in six months, one can only assume that if Doherty arrives, it’s at the behest of sporting director, Tim Steidten.