Brighton make approach for manager – Seagulls have been following him for months

Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly made an approach for Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira.

Looking for a replacement for Graham Potter, who left the Seagulls for Chelsea, the club seem to have started contacts in Brazil to find a new boss.

UOL journalist Bruno Andrade writes that Brighton’s first poll was made ‘in the past few hours’. It’s said that Abel Ferreira has been ‘well evaluated’ for months behind the scenes at the Seagulls.

The coach, however, turned down the approach, showing his desire to stay at Palmeiras to win the Brazilian league title this year.

He’s protected at the club with a contract until 2024.

Abel Ferreira has been having huge success in Brazil since joining Palmeiras in November 2020. He’s won two Copa Libertadores and one Copa do Brasil, and it’s very possible he’ll stay on top of the league table until the end of the season.

This isn’t the first time Brighton have been linked to a manager in South America since Potter’s departure, as they’ve also been said to be interested in River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo.