Spanish giants Real Madrid have approached Brighton and Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi as a possible replacement for Carlo Ancelotti when his contract expires, according to reports in Spain.

Ancelotti is in the final year of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu with his current deal ending at the end of the 2023/24 season.

The Italian has heavily been linked with the vacant head coach role at Brazil following the departure of Tite after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The president of Brazil's football association previously insisted they have a deal in place to bring Ancelotti on for next summer's Copa America.

De Zerbi has reportedly been identified as a possible name to take over the managerial job should the club decide to move on from the former AC Milan boss in the summer.

The 44-year-old is seen as an ideal candidate to lead the club in the next years in the absence of his countryman.

De Zerbi has been in charge at Brighton since the 2022/23 season after Graham Potter left for Chelsea and has overseen 56 games across all competitions.

He has seen 26 wins while picking up 12 draws and 18 defeats with an average of 1.61 points per game. He also led the club to qualifying for Europe for the first time in since its establishment.

Prior to being appointed at Brighton, De Zerbi had previously worked at Shakhtar Donetsk and Sassuolo.