BRIGHTON hope to have hit the bullseye in unearthing another managerial gem.
German Fabian Hurzeler has been identified as the leading candidate to replace Roberto De Zerbi at The Amex.
The rookie manager, who has just guided St. Pauli to promotion in his first full season as boss, has been preparing himself for a move to English football.
During German football's winter break six months ago the former Bayern Munich youth player took a trip over to England to take in the Premier League - and even managed a visit to Ally Pally for the World Darts Championship.
He watched title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City, but made sure a Brighton game was on the agenda.
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While the Seagulls often think outside of the box when it comes to appointments, American-born Hurzeler was not on anyone's radar to step in down south.
But the 31-year-old, who would become the youngest ever permanent manager in Premier League history, has been doing his homework.
Hurzeler is a huge fan of De Zerbi's work and has tried to use bits of the Italian's innovation in his own teams - such as getting defenders to put their foot on the ball and draw opponents in.
Speaking about Brighton's influence on his game, he said: "It's no secret that I simply see principles that suit us and that we try to implement.
"Of course, they are still different types of players. So it makes no sense to copy another team. But you can extract elements."
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Born in Houston, Texas to a Swiss dentist and his German mother - who already had one daughter - the family moved back to Germany, specifically Freiburg, when he was still young.
As a player, Hurzeler started his career with Bayern, though only ever playing for their second side. He once described himself as the worst player in the team when he arrived.
Emre Can, the Borussia Dortmund captain, played alongside him there and tipped his team-mate for a fine career in coaching.
Playing as a midfielder, Hurzeler represented Germany at numerous youth levels - once facing an England Under-16 side which included Ross Barkley, Jack Butland and Conor Coady, with the Three Lions even winning on penalties.
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After dotting around the second sides of Bayern, Hoffenheim and 1860 Munich, Hurzeler ended his professional playing career at 23 and dropped into amateur football - playing and coaching for FC Pipinsried.
He combined that with coaching roles for Germany's Under-20 and Under-18 sides.
Surpassing Jurgen Klopp
It became clear that coaching was his destiny and, in 2020, Hurzeler took the job as an assistant to Timo Schultz at St. Pauli.
Two years later he was thrown into the top job after Schultz was sacked with St. Pauli only above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Hurzeler made an immediate impact, winning all ten of his first games - not only a club record winning streak but even better than the six Jurgen Klopp managed when he started out at Mainz.
Having guided St. Pauli well clear of relegation trouble up to finish in fifth, Hurzeler made more history this season winning the Bundesliga 2 by a single point to guide the Hamburg based club back to the top flight for the first time in 13 years.
A new contract was awarded in March 2024 to deter interest from Bundesliga clubs, but the lure of Brighton and the Premier League may be too much for one of the youngest coaches in European football.
