It is also unlikely that El Mala would be posting celebratory messages if Brighton were to part ways with their manager in the coming weeks and months. Although Fabian Hürzeler is regarded behind the scenes as the driving force behind El Mala’s signing, rumours suggest that his future with the Seagulls is far from certain. And not because the club wants to show him the door, but because other, bigger clubs are said to have him on their radar. But let’s start at the beginning.
Hürzeler went through the biggest crisis of his still-young managerial career in Brighton at the end of last year and the start of this one. No league wins in December, just one in January. In early February, his own fans were jeering him. “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” they chanted after the home defeat to Crystal Palace. Hürzeler spoke of the “toughest moment” of his career.
Since then, the tide has turned. Brighton have won four of their last five league games, including a 2-1 victory over Liverpool. Only against league leaders Arsenal did they suffer a narrow 0-1 defeat. The gap to the European places is now just five points. Hürzeler has managed to turn things around, though in doing so he has, at least for the time being, put one of the club’s objectives on hold: the development of young talent and the generation of transfer fees.
In times of crisis, the more experienced players in the squad – James Milner, Pascal Groß and Danny Welbeck – stepped up to take responsibility, whilst youngsters such as Yankuba Minteh (21) and Georginio Rutter (23) were initially kept on the bench. But that is no longer to be the case: “They will play a major role in the final part of the season,” announced Hürzeler ahead of the season’s final push and following the temporary lull in the attack.
It is a reflection of the difficult balancing act he has to perform at Brighton. On the one hand, he is expected to take on the league’s established powers – Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United – on the pitch. On the other hand, young and promising talents are to be given plenty of playing time to generate revenue.
The fact that the German has mastered this balancing act with flying colours in his first season (8th place) and has now also overcome his first major crisis is said to have sparked interest. According to Sky, Hürzeler is said to be “quite high up” on Manchester City’s shortlist should Pep Guardiola really do step down in the summer. According to The Athletic, he is also said to be a candidate at Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United and Tottenham.
At least contractually, the situation is clear: the 33-year-old manager’s contract runs until 2027, so a substantial transfer fee would be required, which Brighton would insist on. The only question is what Hürzeler wants. And that, in turn, has a direct impact on El Malas’ future.