Brighton star makes Roberto De Zerbi transfer prediction amid AC Milan and Real Madrid links

The Italian has garnered a lot of admirers after leading Albion to sixth in the Premier League last season, guiding them to the last-16 of the Europa League, and the eye-catching way he has got his team playing.

As a result, the 44-year-old has been linked with AC Milan and Real Madrid, among other clubs, but he has repeatedly said he is very happy with the Seagulls, plus he is in talks to extend his deal which runs until 2026.

Now, veteran midfielder Lallana has spoken about what is likely to come De Zerbi’s way in the future, how he is received by Brighton’s players, and why he is well-suited at the Sussex outfit.

The 35-year-old added that many managers want to “jump ship” when a big move comes along, but the former Shakhtar Donetsk boss is cut from a different cloth.

Lallana told talkSPORT: "It’s not even a question, that the interest is already happening. Brighton are not naive enough to be blindsided by that, but I think Roberto is that honest and up front, that I’m not sure he wants that at the minute.

“He understands as well what a group he’s got here, without egos and without no political games from players. I think part of him thinks that if he goes elsewhere, he’s not going to get a group as good as what he’s got here.

“But for a manager to think like that, that’s rare. Usually, managers want to jump ship and want to go where there’s more money involved or bigger transfer budgets or whatever. But Roberto’s that genuine. He started with nothing in the fourth league in Italy and he constantly reminds us that that’s where he was.

"He started with nothing, so he doesn’t need anything, he just needs a bag of balls, some cones, and a bit of grass and we'll go out and train. That's all he wants. And when you’ve got a group of 20 honest fellas who are worshipping him and following him, that's all he wants, it makes him happy.

“Of course, there’s going to be interest and eventually he’s going to manage a top, top, top team, it’s just a fact. But especially at the moment, he understands he’s got it nice here at the minute, he’s enjoying his time here and we can all feel that as players.”