Brighton will target Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna if Roberto De Zerbi quits

Kieran McKenna is on the cusp of leading Ipswich to successive promotions in his first managerial role. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Brighton will look to lure Kieran McKenna away from Ipswich if Roberto De Zerbi quits as manager this summer.

It is understood Brighton have been making contingency plans as they prepare for the possibility of needing a new manager. De Zerbi, whose side are in dismal form, has grown unsettled and has been linked with several big jobs in recent months.

Brighton are realistic about the situation and do not want to be caught cold by the Italian leaving. They are assessing the market and paying close attention to McKenna, who has done a remarkable job at Ipswich. He led the club up from League One last season and is one game from taking them into the Premier League after a win over Coventry on Tuesday.

Ipswich, who need a point to guarantee automatic promotion when they host Huddersfield on Saturday, have been praised for the quality of their football. Their rapid progress under McKenna has earned the 37-year-old a reputation as one of the brightest young managers in English football. Ipswich have challenged at the top of the Championship despite having smaller resources than their promotion rivals Leicester, Leeds and Southampton.

Brighton are understood to be prepared to push for McKenna whether or not Ipswich go up. It remains to be seen if McKenna, who was on the coaching staff at Manchester United, would choose to continue to develop in his current role. Loyalty to Ipswich could come into play given that they gave him his first job in management.

Yet financial realities could bite if Ipswich make it to the Premier League. McKenna may decide that the opportunity to join Brighton and work with a bigger transfer budget is too good to turn down.

Brighton are well run and have a history of shrewd recruitment. They progressed after taking the brave decision to replace Chris Hughton with Graham Potter in 2019. De Zerbi came in and made a stunning impact after Potter left for Chelsea last season. Brighton finished sixth and qualified for Europe for the first time.

This season, though, there have been suggestions that De Zerbi does not feel the club can match his ambition. Brighton’s model has seen them sign unheralded players for modest fees and sell them for big money. But they have not maintained last season’s levels after the departures of Alexis Mac Allister and Moisés Caicedo. They lost to Roma in the last 16 of the Europa League and have fallen to 12th after six matches without a win.

De Zerbi has much to prove and has been overlooked for upcoming vacancies at Bayern Munich and Liverpool. He has been considered by Chelsea and Milan. Sources in Italy have said De Zerbi wants a new challenge but no offers are on the table.