Marseille have agreed a deal in principle to appoint former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach, the French club announced on Monday.

In a statement, Marseille said they were "working with all parties involved to formalise the arrival of the Italian coach and his staff on the OM bench, and to prepare for his arrival in Marseille in the coming days."

De Zerbi, 45, coached Brighton to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League in the 2022-23 season, helping the club reach European competition for the first time in their history.

While they made it to the Europa League round of 16, where they were eliminated by Roma, Brighton struggled to replicate their impressive domestic form from the season prior in 2023-24. They finished 11th as the club and coach decided to part ways at the end of the season.

Marseille's 2023-24 season was turbulent, beginning the campaign under the stewardship of Spanish coach Marcelino before he resigned seven games into his tenure. Former Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso replaced him at the helm in September 2023 only to be fired five months later. Jean-Louis Gasset saw out the term as Marseille finished eighth, outside the European places.