Six burning Brighton issues Roberto De Zerbi must tackle – including Billy Gilmour and Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister contracts

The 43-year-old Italian has signed a four-year contract with the Seagulls and was announced on Sunday evening as the successor to Graham Potter, who departed for Chelsea earlier this month.

The former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk head coach takes over a team that is currently flying high in fourth place in the Premier League.

De Zerbi will have the luxury of a little time to bed in and get to know his players during the international break.

Albion are next in action at Liverpool on October 1 and their next home match is against Tottenham at the Amex Stadium on October 8.

De Zerbi cast his eye over the Albion team last Friday during a behind closed doors friendly against Chelsea at the Amex Stadium. He has inherited a decent Premier League squad but with that comes pressure as Potter has set the bar pretty high. Here's the key points De Zerbi must address.

Moises Caicedo

The Ecuador international has made an impressive start to life in the Premier League with Brighton following his introduction to the team. The 20-year-old who signed from

Independiente del Valle in February 2021 for just £4.5m has seen his transfer value rocket.

His performances in the heart of the Albion midfield has caught the eye of Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. Caicedo says he is focussed on Brighton for now and then wants to shine at the World Cup later this year for Ecuador.

But he didn't rule out a move away in the future stating: "I’m very focused on Brighton and the World Cup. They (Chelsea) are one of the best teams in the world and nobody would turn down an offer from Chelsea or any other club like that. It’d be a dream to be in the best teams and succeed there."

De Zerbi has a special talent on his hands and keeping him at the club could be one of his most tricky tasks.

Alexis Mac Allister

The Argentina international is playing some of the best football of career and has adapted well to a slightly deeper role in the Albion midfield, following the exit of Yves Bissouma. Mac Allister had a great relationship with Graham Potter and previously said he wanted to him to be his coach for life. Getting the best from Mac Allister – who is out of contract next summer – will be vital if De Zerbi is to hit the ground running. The Italian will also hope to persuade Mac Allister to extend his deal at the Amex.

Billy Gilmour

It’s been an unsettling time for the £9m summer arrival from Chelsea. Graham Potter’s style was a big factor in Gilmour arriving at the club as the Scotland international midfielder looks to kick-start his career after leaving Chelsea and a disappointing loan at Norwich. De Zerbi has a reputation for getting the best from young players and the technically gifted Gilmour should be a player capable of thriving under the Italian. Just 18 months ago Gilmour was tipped as one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League. That potential remains and it’s up to De Zerbi to unlock that.

Lewis Dunk and senior players

Brighton have an abundance of young talent but the senior players such Lewis Dunk, Joel Veltman, Pascal Gross, Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana remain the foundation this team is built upon. Without them the younger players would struggle to shine. Building an instant rapport with the established players is a must for De Zerbi as he settles into Premier League life.

Goals

Danny Welbeck has been excellent in the early stages of the season and is in the best physical shape of his career. He has created space for the likes of Leo Trossard and Alexis Mac Allister to get among the goals but the striker will be keen to hit the target on a more regular basis himself. Neal Maupay was allowed to join Everton last summer and recent arrival Deniz Undav remains untested in the Premier League. Youngsters Jeremy Sarmineto and Evan Ferguson will also hope for game time in the coming matches to prove their worth as an attacking force to De Zerbi.

Fans

Finally and perhaps most importantly for De Zerbi is to develop a close bond with the fans. His appointment has largely been meet with a positive response and supporters will no doubt give him a warm welcome in the next home match against Tottenham on October 8. Potter however has set a high standard and the pressure is on to maintain Albion’s lofty position. It’s a unique position for a new Brighton manager as the team are performing well, where as previously any new coach would be looking either for promotion or to move away from relegation. The next step for Brighton is regularly reaching the top 10 and that is perhaps the hardest and most competitive step of all.